One of my absolute favorite hairstyles for summer is the "beachy wave" Its based on loose and imperfect curls, and if your already have wavy hair, can take less than 15 minutes. It's also great for people who live in areas with high humidity, because you don't have to attempt to tame your hair that you straightened less than 30 minutes ago.
Start with slightly damp hair, either by letting it dry about 80% of the way after getting out of the shower or using a spray bottle to wet it evenly. Apply sea salt spray or curl enhancing mousse to your hair. You can make your own sea salt spray if you don't already own any by mixing 1 cup warm water, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon gel and putting it in a spray bottle. I prefer making it myself because not only is it cheaper, sea salt spray from the store has an odd odor that stays in your hair all day that spray that you make at your house doesn't have. If you have naturally straight hair, twist small sections of your hair into mini-buns all over your head, secure them with bobby pins, and let dry completely. If your hair already has a wave to it, dry it the rest of the way using a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment. Using a 3/4 inch or 1 inch curler, wrap 1 inch sections of your hair around the curler (without using the clamp) to touch up strands of your hair that didn't wave. Rake your fingers through your hair to separate your curls and finish with a light touch of hair spray.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
5 Simple Activites That Children Will Love
Whether your an older sibling, parent, or babysitter, you know that children lose focus quickly, so it's best to have various activities for them to do. Instead of going to the store and buying every kind of toy under the sun, how about making some of them at home? If the children are old enough, you can also have them help you, turning the creation into activities in themselves.
The first craft is a classic: play dough. Only this play dough makes your hands feel like you've just gotten back from a spa day. Just mix 2 parts corn starch with 1 part conditioner, the exact amount depending on how much play dough you want. Because different conditioners have different consistencies, you might have to alter the amounts slightly to get a doughy consistency. Use food coloring to color your dough. While it feels lighter than normal play dough, it is just as pliable and will take longer to dry out. To keep it from drying out, place it is a plastic container or wrap it with Saran wrap.
The next craft is making "goop" or silly putty. Mix 1 cup of Elmer's all-purpose glue with food coloring in the color of your choice. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of Sta-Flo liquid starch. Keep in a Zip-Lock bag or an air tight container in the refrigerator for best results.
Next are Rainbow Bubble Snakes. I've never seen an equivalent of this in a store anywhere, but it's great fun for when its warm enough to play outside. All you need is an empty plastic water bottle, a sock, dish soap, and food coloring. Start by cutting the bottom 1/2 inch of the water bottle off, sliding the sock over the bottom (so that the neck that you drink from is still exposed) and secure the sock with duct tape or a rubber band. Mix dish soap with water in a shallow dish. Dip the sock end of the water in the soapy mixture and blow through the neck of the bottle. Bubbles will come shooting out the sock! To make the bubbles colored, drip food coloring onto the sock.
If your baby is still in the "wants to put everything I see into my mouth" then you might be worried about letting them with any paints in fear that they'll start licking it off their fingers. But if you make this finger paint at home from the same foods that you eat, you won't have to worry about them. Bonus: they're scented! Most likely your baby won't need a lot of paint, mix 3 Tablespoons of plain yogurt with half a packet of Kool Aid of different colors. You can also mix different kinds of Kool Aid to create your own colors. If you don't want the paint to be scented, substitute the Kool Aid with a drop of food coloring.
The last activity is mind-blowingly simply, but great for kids of all ages when they're out playing after the sun has gone down. Just break open glow sticks, and pour them into your bubble blowing solution and voila! Glow in the dark bubbles.
The first craft is a classic: play dough. Only this play dough makes your hands feel like you've just gotten back from a spa day. Just mix 2 parts corn starch with 1 part conditioner, the exact amount depending on how much play dough you want. Because different conditioners have different consistencies, you might have to alter the amounts slightly to get a doughy consistency. Use food coloring to color your dough. While it feels lighter than normal play dough, it is just as pliable and will take longer to dry out. To keep it from drying out, place it is a plastic container or wrap it with Saran wrap.
The next craft is making "goop" or silly putty. Mix 1 cup of Elmer's all-purpose glue with food coloring in the color of your choice. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of Sta-Flo liquid starch. Keep in a Zip-Lock bag or an air tight container in the refrigerator for best results.
Next are Rainbow Bubble Snakes. I've never seen an equivalent of this in a store anywhere, but it's great fun for when its warm enough to play outside. All you need is an empty plastic water bottle, a sock, dish soap, and food coloring. Start by cutting the bottom 1/2 inch of the water bottle off, sliding the sock over the bottom (so that the neck that you drink from is still exposed) and secure the sock with duct tape or a rubber band. Mix dish soap with water in a shallow dish. Dip the sock end of the water in the soapy mixture and blow through the neck of the bottle. Bubbles will come shooting out the sock! To make the bubbles colored, drip food coloring onto the sock.
If your baby is still in the "wants to put everything I see into my mouth" then you might be worried about letting them with any paints in fear that they'll start licking it off their fingers. But if you make this finger paint at home from the same foods that you eat, you won't have to worry about them. Bonus: they're scented! Most likely your baby won't need a lot of paint, mix 3 Tablespoons of plain yogurt with half a packet of Kool Aid of different colors. You can also mix different kinds of Kool Aid to create your own colors. If you don't want the paint to be scented, substitute the Kool Aid with a drop of food coloring.
The last activity is mind-blowingly simply, but great for kids of all ages when they're out playing after the sun has gone down. Just break open glow sticks, and pour them into your bubble blowing solution and voila! Glow in the dark bubbles.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
To get in the environmentally Easter spirit, I decided to help my little sister dye her Easter eggs with natural dyes found in our kitchen. I tried all of the following but you can pick and choose based on what color of eggs you want: coffee, tea, red onion, red cabbage, turmeric, yellow onion, blueberry juice, a mixture of blueberry and cranberry juice, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. All of the recipes are super simple, and the colors all got more vibrant the longer they were left in their mixture. I left them in for 9 hours total, but would check them every 2 hours to watch their progress. Remember that you shouldn't consume eggs if they've been sitting out for over an hour!
Coffee: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup strongly brewed coffee and 1/8 cup vinegar at room temperature. The coffee stain produced a lightly tanned egg with dark brown speckles.
Tea: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup of steaming water with 3 tea bags and 1/8 cup vinegar. It starts as a light brown color and the longer you let it sit, the darker brown it becomes.
Red Onion: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/8 cup white vinegar and a dry peel from a red onion. Before the egg had dried, it looked to be a murky brown color, but as it dried it turned to a deep red with brown specks.
Turmeric: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons turmeric, and 1/8 cup vinegar. Even after 2 hours of soaking, I could tell this was going to one of my favorites because it created a beautiful pastel yellow.
Yellow Onion: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/8 cup vinegar and a dry peel from a yellow onion. After about 3 hours the egg will be a deep yellow, and the longer it sits in the mixture, the darker it will become. After 9 hours, it is a burnt orange.
Blueberries: Mash 1/2 cup of blueberries and add 2 Tablespoons vinegar. This takes the least amount of time because you simply have to roll the hard-boiled egg in the mixture and let it dry, a process of 2 minutes. It's also what I found to be the prettiest egg, giving a blue-purple swirled egg.
Cayenne Pepper: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 2 cups warm water, 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper, and 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper. Be sure to dissolve all of the cayenne pepper, or it will leave brown flecks on the orange egg.
I've also found recipes for dying eggs with red cabbage (which surprisingly gives you a light blue dye), blueberry and cranberry juice (which is a deep purple), and chili powder (which is similar to the cayenne pepper). The link to those recipes can be found here.
Coffee: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup strongly brewed coffee and 1/8 cup vinegar at room temperature. The coffee stain produced a lightly tanned egg with dark brown speckles.
Tea: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup of steaming water with 3 tea bags and 1/8 cup vinegar. It starts as a light brown color and the longer you let it sit, the darker brown it becomes.
Red Onion: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/8 cup white vinegar and a dry peel from a red onion. Before the egg had dried, it looked to be a murky brown color, but as it dried it turned to a deep red with brown specks.
Turmeric: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons turmeric, and 1/8 cup vinegar. Even after 2 hours of soaking, I could tell this was going to one of my favorites because it created a beautiful pastel yellow.
Yellow Onion: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/8 cup vinegar and a dry peel from a yellow onion. After about 3 hours the egg will be a deep yellow, and the longer it sits in the mixture, the darker it will become. After 9 hours, it is a burnt orange.
Blueberries: Mash 1/2 cup of blueberries and add 2 Tablespoons vinegar. This takes the least amount of time because you simply have to roll the hard-boiled egg in the mixture and let it dry, a process of 2 minutes. It's also what I found to be the prettiest egg, giving a blue-purple swirled egg.
Cayenne Pepper: Soak a hard-boiled egg in a mixture of 2 cups warm water, 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper, and 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper. Be sure to dissolve all of the cayenne pepper, or it will leave brown flecks on the orange egg.
I've also found recipes for dying eggs with red cabbage (which surprisingly gives you a light blue dye), blueberry and cranberry juice (which is a deep purple), and chili powder (which is similar to the cayenne pepper). The link to those recipes can be found here.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Personally, I think the day we put ready to bake cinnamon rolls in a tube and made them readily available in your closest Target was the day we succeeded as the human race. They're delicious. But when I looked on the Pillsbury package and saw the ingredients listed, including thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, monoglyceride, and xanthan gum, I thought it might be worth it to look into how to make them from scratch. I found a promising recipe and set forth with my limited knowledge of baking to create a tasty cinnamon roll in which I could pronounce all the ingredients.
To make the dough you will need 4-5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 packages dry yeast (4.5 teaspoons), 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup water, ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup sugar, and 1 egg. This is enough to make 12 cinnamon rolls. In a large bowl, mix 1¾ cups flour and all of the yeast and salt. In a small pan heat the milk, water, butter, and sugar over medium-low heat, stirring until it reaches 120-130 degrees. Beat the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Slowly mix in more flour until it creates a soft dough (it should take anywhere from 1 to 2 cups). Remember that when you knead the bread you will cover your countertop with more flour that the dough will absorb, so it's okay if the bread still fills a little sticky. Knead the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover it in a towel and let it rise for about 20 minutes (unless you are using instant yeast, which will take about half the time) until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle that is about ¼ inch thick. Spread melted butter over the dough.
To make the filling, combine ½ cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the dough. Roll the dough (with the filling inside) as if it were a jelly roll. When it is completely rolled cut it into 12 rolls. Put it on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.
While the bread is baking, combine 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon butter, ⅛ teaspoon vanilla, and 2-3 Teaspoons hot water in small bowl to make the icing. When the rolls are finished baking, take them out and let them sit on a cooling rack for approximately 5 minutes and then top with the icing.
It ended up taking me 1 ½ hours to prep and bake the cinnamon rolls. While they tasted delicious, I'm going to stick with my 12 minute Pillsbury rolls and whip out this recipe for special occasions.
To make the dough you will need 4-5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 packages dry yeast (4.5 teaspoons), 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup water, ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup sugar, and 1 egg. This is enough to make 12 cinnamon rolls. In a large bowl, mix 1¾ cups flour and all of the yeast and salt. In a small pan heat the milk, water, butter, and sugar over medium-low heat, stirring until it reaches 120-130 degrees. Beat the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Slowly mix in more flour until it creates a soft dough (it should take anywhere from 1 to 2 cups). Remember that when you knead the bread you will cover your countertop with more flour that the dough will absorb, so it's okay if the bread still fills a little sticky. Knead the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover it in a towel and let it rise for about 20 minutes (unless you are using instant yeast, which will take about half the time) until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle that is about ¼ inch thick. Spread melted butter over the dough.
To make the filling, combine ½ cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the dough. Roll the dough (with the filling inside) as if it were a jelly roll. When it is completely rolled cut it into 12 rolls. Put it on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.
While the bread is baking, combine 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon butter, ⅛ teaspoon vanilla, and 2-3 Teaspoons hot water in small bowl to make the icing. When the rolls are finished baking, take them out and let them sit on a cooling rack for approximately 5 minutes and then top with the icing.
It ended up taking me 1 ½ hours to prep and bake the cinnamon rolls. While they tasted delicious, I'm going to stick with my 12 minute Pillsbury rolls and whip out this recipe for special occasions.
Monday, April 14, 2014
DIY Dry Hair Shampoo
Chances are, you shampoo your hair too much. Yup, I said it. But I have expert to back me up.According to WebMD's article, "How Often Do You Really Need to Shampoo?", most people with long, thick, or curly hair who shampoo their hair more than 3-4 times a week are stripping their hair of its natural essential oils, causing their hair to be frizzy and less manageable. Unless you have extremely greasy hair, there is no need to shampoo everyday. I personally prefer to shampoo my hair 3 times a week, which gives it more shine and it is easier to style. In between shampoos, I still condition it, but sometimes it can start to look a little greasy. When that happens I normally turn to store-bought dry shampoo, which can leave my hair sticky (plus I think it smells weird). Of course I turned to Pinterest for ideas on a dry shampoo that I could do myself with ingredients I trust.
There are two different recipes, depending on what color hair you have. If you have light hair mix 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 5-10 drops of essential oil. If you have dark hair mix 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and 5-10 drops of essential oil. Apply the powder with a makeup brush to your roots and let it sit for 3-4 minutes to give it time to suck up any extra oils. Brush it out and style as you usually would.
Because I have red hair I didn't know recipe to use, so I tried both. The one for light hair dulled the color of my hair at the roots, but the one with cocoa powder worked great!
There are two different recipes, depending on what color hair you have. If you have light hair mix 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 5-10 drops of essential oil. If you have dark hair mix 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and 5-10 drops of essential oil. Apply the powder with a makeup brush to your roots and let it sit for 3-4 minutes to give it time to suck up any extra oils. Brush it out and style as you usually would.
Because I have red hair I didn't know recipe to use, so I tried both. The one for light hair dulled the color of my hair at the roots, but the one with cocoa powder worked great!
DIY Ombre Shorts
In honor of the warming weather, last week I showed you how to create cute tie-dye shorts out of the jeans you have just gathering dust in your closet. I recognize that tie-dye isn't for everyone, so this week I decided to show you how to create a pair of ombre shorts, which are just as colorful, but a bit less "out there". All you will need is a rectangular bucket, gloves, an old pair of colored jeans, and bleach.
Step One: If you are starting with jean pants, cut them to your desired length. Be careful not to cut too short, because we are going to fray them later, which can decrease their length by about half an inch. To get a straight cut, mark where to cut with a ruler and a washable marker or eyeliner pencil. When you are done cutting, rub a pumice stone (the thing you rub against the soles of your feet to get rid of dead skin), against the cut edges to give them a "distressed" look. You can also use a cheese grater or sand paper. I find that ombre looks too formal on shorts that are cut perfectly.
Additional Step: If you started with regular colored jeans, use a fabric dye teinture to dye the denim the color you want to be the darkest part of your ombre. Stay away from light colors, unless you want the bottom of your shorts to be white. For instance, if you dyed your shorts a light blue, it would fade into white. But if your shorts were dyed dark blue, it would fade into light blue. Either way works, but I prefer to always have color. Dye your shorts using the instructions on the packet of dye teinture. Once your shorts have soaked in the dye mixture, move onto the next step. If you want to wash and dry the jeans first, you can, but it won't make a difference in the product.
Step Two: Wearing the gloves, fill the bucket 1/4 of the way up with bleach. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING BLEACH. If you used dye teinture without gloves, your hands will just be stained for a couple of days. Bleach can irritate or burn your skin, so wear gloves at all times and if skin does come in contact with bleach make sure to wash it off immediately and thoroughly. Make sure you take the bucket outside in a well-ventilated area so you don't inhale the fumes.
Step Three: Let your jeans soak in warm water. Tape your shorts to the side of the bucket so that the bottom 1/2 in. to in. is in the bleach.
Step Four: Every pair of jeans is different. Some will take 2 minutes to bleach, some will take 2 days. It also depends on how high you want the bleach to go up the shorts. Keep an eye on them. Mine took around 2 hours until I was satisfied.
Step Four: Once it is bleached to your approval, take your shorts out of the bucket and run it under cold water. Throw them in the washer and dryer by themselves (you don't want to ombre any of your other clothes!).
I was really content with how my shorts turned out. I'm even considering doing the same thing with other colors. Because I already had all of the materials I needed, the project didn't cost me any money, compared to the $30-$100 dollars you can spend on shorts in any store at the mall.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Shave with Baby OIl
If you've seen my last post you'll know that I am very excited about the upcoming warm weather! Summer brings shorts, and that means whipping out your legs for the world to see. I decided to try a trick I have seen on Pinterest for what promises to get you "the softest legs ever". What's the big secret? Baby oil. Instead of buying expensive shaving cream, buy a bottle of Johnson's baby oil. Rub a drop the size of a quarter on each leg and shave with your normal razor. While the softest legs ever might have been a bit of an exaggeration, it does leave your legs feeling super smooth and doesn't give you those pesky razor bumps. Not to mention its also supposed to make your razor last longer! If you follow it up with Johnson's moisturizing lotion, your legs are guaranteed to stay silky soft until your next shave. WARNING: Be careful! If you use it in the shower the floor will be super slick. I'd recommend doing it laying in the tub or sitting on the toilet. Beauty is pain, but I'm not about to fall and crack my head open for smoother legs.
One Color Tie Dyed Shorts
Summer is coming folks. Hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets louder, days get longer, and of course, pants get shorter. While every girl needs her soffe and jean shorts to get her through the summer, but some days you just need a little tie die. Instead of going out and buying a brand new ones, why not just make some using an old pair of jean shorts that you never use. All you'll need is some old jean shorts (preferably a light wash so it the color will be more prominent), a plastic tub, rubber gloves, rubber bands, and dye teinture. Dye teinture is a colored powder that you mix with water to dye fabrics in. You can find it at most craft stores, Target, or Wal-Mart. While there are more expensive, brands, some cost as little as $3 which you can use in a gallon of water. I've used the expensive and cheap options and didn't find any noticeable difference between them. If you don't have any jean shorts you want to get rid of, you can also use jean paints and cut them to the length you want the shorts to be. If you are going to make cut-off shorts, I suggest making the jeans distressed using scissors and a foot buffer. Rub the foot buffer against the bottom of the shorts where you cut the legs off or cut tears in the jeans using the scissors and use the foot buffer to rub over the cuts as well.
Step One: Run water over the jeans until they are damp. Wring any excess water out. Use the rubber bands to bind the jeans together in varying sized clumps. You can use as many rubber bands as you would like, but keep in mind that the more rubber bands you use, the more bursts of color will be on your shorts.
Step Two: Add hot water to your bucket, following the instructions on the packet of dye teinture. Even though the instructions will vary with different brands, I suggest adding 2-4 tablespoons of salt to the hot water with the teinture to help jeans absorb the color, even if the instructions don't call for it.
Step Three: Put the banded shorts into the water/teinture mixture. Wear gloves, because your hands are just as easily dyed as the fabric. Make sure the jeans are completely covered in water so they will be dyed evenly. If any parts of the shorts are sticking out, you can put a heavy item, like a pan with water in it or a jar with rocks in it, on top to push the jeans into the water.
Step Four: Leave the shorts in the water for 30 minutes to an hour.
Step Five: When they are done being dyed, run them under cold water until the water runs clear. Washing them on a normal cycle in the washing machine with more cold water. Wash it without any other clothes, so that the dye doesn't leak onto your other clothes. You can either put them in the dryer (with no other clothes) or lay them out to dry.
Tip: Be careful what kind of materials you are putting in contact with the dye. The color will transfer onto skin ( my hot pink fingers can attest to that), other articles of clothing and wash rags, and plastics. The dye will not stain metals or granite.
Once your jeans are dry, you'll have a unique, single colored tie-dye shorts to wear on a hot summer's day. Here's how mine turned out!
Step One: Run water over the jeans until they are damp. Wring any excess water out. Use the rubber bands to bind the jeans together in varying sized clumps. You can use as many rubber bands as you would like, but keep in mind that the more rubber bands you use, the more bursts of color will be on your shorts.
Step Two: Add hot water to your bucket, following the instructions on the packet of dye teinture. Even though the instructions will vary with different brands, I suggest adding 2-4 tablespoons of salt to the hot water with the teinture to help jeans absorb the color, even if the instructions don't call for it.
Step Three: Put the banded shorts into the water/teinture mixture. Wear gloves, because your hands are just as easily dyed as the fabric. Make sure the jeans are completely covered in water so they will be dyed evenly. If any parts of the shorts are sticking out, you can put a heavy item, like a pan with water in it or a jar with rocks in it, on top to push the jeans into the water.
Step Four: Leave the shorts in the water for 30 minutes to an hour.
Step Five: When they are done being dyed, run them under cold water until the water runs clear. Washing them on a normal cycle in the washing machine with more cold water. Wash it without any other clothes, so that the dye doesn't leak onto your other clothes. You can either put them in the dryer (with no other clothes) or lay them out to dry.
Tip: Be careful what kind of materials you are putting in contact with the dye. The color will transfer onto skin ( my hot pink fingers can attest to that), other articles of clothing and wash rags, and plastics. The dye will not stain metals or granite.
Once your jeans are dry, you'll have a unique, single colored tie-dye shorts to wear on a hot summer's day. Here's how mine turned out!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)