Friday, April 4, 2014

Super Hero

Dealing with Alzheimer's

My mother is struggling with the effects of Alzheimer's.  It is an awful thing to have, but we try and look on the bright side of things as much as we can.  Whenever there is bad news, we can tell it to her once and she usually forgets it anyway.  We can give good news to her over and over again and every time she is excited as if it is the first time she heard it, because sometimes to her, it is.

Seth and Grandma Polly at the Omaha Zoo


Grant and Grandma Polly


Grandma Loves the Zoo



My Mom loves the Giraffes, the only problem is, they are located on the far end of the zoo
and it is quite a hike to get there.
The good thing about Alzheimer's is she forgets how grueling the hike is and just keeps going. 

Amy's Toffee Popcorn Recipe

Amy's Toffee Popcorn Recipe

I know I have a lot of caramel corn recipes on my blog.  The reason is, I love popcorn and each recipe is my favorite for different reasons.  Sometimes I am in the mood for a sticky sweetened condensed milk flavor, that can be made in 5 minutes, but it only has a few hours shelf life.  This one is great if you are having a get together and want something quick and easy.  But sometimes I want a batch of popcorn that has a toffee taste.  This one is not sticky because it is baked.  It takes a lot longer to make, but the shelf life it at least 2 weeks, not that it ever lasts that long around my house.

Whenever I make it, I always double the batch and make some for home and some to give away.

I have another similar recipe for caramel corn.  This one is a toffee recipe.  Some folks might not know there is a difference, but us popcorn lovers do.  It is kind of like when you are picking your Fiddle Faddle.  One is caramel and the other is butter toffee.  There is a difference:)  The recipe is a little bit different but the process of getting to the end result is the same.

Spray a large roasting pan
Pop a lot of popcorn.
I have measurements with the recipe but I personally never use them
I just keep popping until the roaster is 3/4 full
This is enough for a double batch of toffee
Remember to filter out the old maids!

Make sure you cook the toffee in a large sauce pan
It does boil up

When you first start it may look like it is too large, but trust me,
you will be glad for the extra room once you add the baking soda


Pour the toffee over the popcorn and bake

After it is baked, pour out on wax paper to cool

Free Printable Toffee Popcorn Recipe


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Trash To Treasure

Trash to Treasure

I love making fun little craft items that I can give away, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.  Today I decided to see if I could come up with some sort of gift made completely from things I would have thrown away.  I used trash and left over remnants of previous crafts.  I had a can of gold spray paint with only a tiny bit of paint left in it.  Since Easter is close, I filled the jar with little chocolate Easter egg candies, but you could use what ever kind of candy you would like. 



Empty Jar Waiting to Be Recycled


I used scotch tape and tin foil to line the jar.

I only wanted paint to be on the label. 


Bling Ribbon


The Jar After It Was Spray Painted


Finished Project Before I Added Candy

For the Price of a Few Candies
I Ended Up with a Very Fun Gift


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

Huaraz, Peru

Wikahuain Ruins, Huaraz, Peru

Wilkahuain National Monument – is a small Wari ruin located north of Huaraz.  It dates from AD 600 to 900.  It is an imitation of the temple Chavin done.  Wilkahuain means ‘grandson’s house.’  The rooms were originally filled with bundles of mummies.  

Ruins, Peru


Huaraz, Peru with HuascarĂ¡n Mountain In The Background

My son, Elder Hackleman, sent these pictures to me today from his mission in Huaraz, Peru.  Huaraz is such a beautiful place and the weather is much cooler than in Lima, since the altitude is so much higher.  It rains a lot, but that is what makes everything so green.

My husband and I plan in visiting next year.  It will be fun to actually see all these fabulous places.  Huaraz is one of Peru's top tourist destinations and I can see why.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Eyelashes

DIY Eyelash Extensions





I am all about saving money, but I love the look of eyelash extensions.  I checked into the cost of extensions done at a beauty salon and I was amazed at how much it cost.  I decided to see if I could do my own DIY eyelash extensions.  I talked my 17 year old son into applying them for me.  I bought an eyelash kit form the drugstore for $10.  As it turns out, the glue that comes with the kits is only semi-permanent.  It lasts for 2 to 3 weeks.  I have found some permanent eyelash glue online but I won't use it until I get the hang of the process a little more and I'm sure I want to be that committed to the eyelashes.

I will say, I have really enjoyed the eyelashes.  I hate putting on mascara, although next time around I am not going to do my eyelashes as long.  I want the look to be a bit more subtle.

Over all I was very pleased with the results and plan on continuing adding my false lashes.  This is the best DIY I have done in a long time.

DIY Lip Stain Tutorial

DIY Lip Stain





This lip stain tutorial is so much fun.  You can change the color of your lips just by selecting a different color of Kool-aid.  Keep applying layers of Kool-aid until you get the amount of darkness you prefer.  It lasts for 3 or 4 hours.  I added lip gloss over the top to give it a shiny appearance, then went on a date night out on the town which included dinner and hanging out with friends.  The next morning some of the lip stain had still not faded away, so it really is fairly permanent.

Expert Advice

Expert Advice

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Sidney House Projects

The Wind In Nebraska Took Our Trampoline for A Ride
So We Put it In the Ground

One day while living in Sidney, Nebraska, I found my trampoline across the road hooked on my neighbors truck because the wind had carried it there.  This is when I knew it was time to bury the trampoline.  We didn't want it to cave in, so we decided to make a secure home for it.  We hired a backhoe driver to dig out the hole for us, but we did the rest of the work ourselves.  We used deck grade wood  to build up the interior walls.  We cemented the 8 posts into the ground and then screwed the walls onto the posts.

After the walls were up, we put a weed barrier down and then covered it with rock.  Then we placed the trampoline into the hole.  I can't even begin to tell you how happy we have been with the finished product.  Initially our trampoline had the pad along the edges, but the crazy wind tore it to pieces and as our children got older the need for the pad went away.  I'm sure if we still had very young children we would have replaced it.


It is Nice Because You Can Just Walk Right Onto It


When You Work at Cabela's You Do Crazy Things With Your Bedrooms


I love Stripes, I have a Perfect No Fail Way To Paint Stripes


Stripes Are So Fun

Perfectly painted stripes are not as hard as you think they are.  You just need to do one extra step while painting, and trust me when I tell you, it is worth it.  No matter how good you tape off an area, the paint always seeps through underneath the tape and leaves an uneven looking line.  If you follow these instructions, you will never have that problem again.

After you tape off an area, paint over the line of paint with the same color of paint.  If your wall is white, tape off the area, then paint the edge of the tape with the white paint.  This will enable all the seeping paint to take place with the same color of paint.  Let it dry, then proceed to paint with the other color.  When you remove the tape, the line will be absolutely perfect every time.

If you are painting over a wall that you do not have the original paint color, do not fear, there is a solution.  Tape off the area you want to stripe, and then paint with a clear paint.  This will allow clear paint to seep under the tape and it works just as good.  After it drys, paint your striped color.  Perfection.

I Glued Tissue Paper to the Wall to Give it a Texture, Then Painted Over It
It Looks Like Leather


Quote of the Day - A Little Extra Weight Study



DIY Vinyl Letter Blocks

Vinyl Letter Blocks

This is so easy to do.  The letters are made with vinyl.  Choose your favorite paper with colors that look good together.  We did this project for a Relief Society super Saturday.  We got the paper from Michaels and Oriental Trading.  It is scrap book paper.  The wood is cut from 2 by 4's.

After you cut the 2 by 4's to desired length, lightly sand the rough edges off.  Paint the blocks black.  Craft paint works great because it is cheap and it dries fast.  Cut the paper to fit the blocks.  Glue the paper on the blocks using a light coat of Modge Podge.  Flatten the paper out with a sharp flat object.  A credit card works great.

Add the vinyl letters, then Modge Podge over the entire block.  I used the non-glare Modge Podge for this project.

That's all there is to it!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Stuffed French Toast

Stuffed French-Toast

My friend told me about a great recipe she makes and I tried it out.  It turned out so delicious I knew I needed to share it on my blog.  I used homemade whole grain bread, but you can use any bread.  It really is easy to make as well.  Just slap some cream cheese and raspberry jam on the bread like a sandwich, then dip it in egg mixture and fry it up.  It is so yummy.  We added fresh strawberries and syrup for a perfect breakfast which we actually ate for Sunday dinner.

Feel free to save the recipe on your computer.


Saturday, March 22, 2014

DIY - Thumb Tacks

Very easy to make. Just add paint and glitter, then hot glue a thump tack or a magnet and you have a very cute clothespin to hang you children's prized drawings, grocery lists, wedding announcements, etc. Also a great place to put visiting teaching information.

Kool-Aid Popcorn

I needed a spring colored treat today since it is that time of year. I made my favorite Kool-Aid popcorn recipe. Just imagine all the different flavors of Kool-Aid and then you will know the sky is the limit to the flavors and colors you can have with a very simple recipe. Wish you could have a taste right now:)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Delicious Waffles

I know you might be thinking making waffles from scratch is too time consuming and hard.  The truth is, they are easy to make.  In fact I always make a double batch, cook them up and freeze whatever we don't eat in a freezer bag.  You can cook the waffles up quickly in the morning either in the microwave oven or the toaster oven.  Now that is the way to save time and money.  Yeah!

Mix the Eggs Until They Are Fluffy

Add All the Other Ingredients

Except One Cup of Milk and The Baking Powder


Mix Completely Until Smooth


Add The Last Cup of Milk and The Baking Powder


Let Mixture Rest While Heating Up The Waffle Iron

Free Recipe