How to make Candy Jar for Candy Bar

I finally did it!  I hosted my first event in my home!  It only took 7 years but I finally did it!  Sure I have hosted family gatherings,  like Thanksgiving, and two church gatherings. But those I did when I first moved into my home.  I use to say it was because I didn't know any better.  My house wasn't decorated enough, painted enough, pretty enough etc.  But you know what?  It is never going to meet my standards and I had to come to terms with that reality...or my perception of reality. I read a blog post once about not waiting for your house to be ready for guests because it will never be ready.  That the most important part of hosting people for a gathering or for the weekend is to make them feel comfortable and at home. It was a great article.   If I find it again, I will update this one with the link.  I read it years ago, but it planted a small seed.  A seed so small that it took years for it to break through the ground and finally bear fruits.

I decided to use Pinterest for ideas and I fell in love with Candy Bars. Not like a Hershey's candy bar but a bar much like an alcohol bar but filled with candy instead of spirits.  But I knew I didn't want to break the bank so I had to improvise.In this video, I will show you how I took two vases from the dollar store and made my own candy jars for a Candy Bar.  I originally saw a similar idea on Pinterest, using mason jars. Those can be seen at http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/04/pickle-jar-project.html.  However, I didn't have any mason jars so I bought a few candle holders for the tops.  These candy jars are so easy to make and inexpensive.


Supplies needed:
- candle stick holder (dollar store)
-  wider candle holder jar or bowl (dollar store)
- strong liquid adhesive ( I used E6000 which can be found at  most hobby stores)
- candy (optional)
-  candy scoop (optional)
-  any items you want to use to decorate jar (optional)

Make sure both the top and bottom candle holders are clean and dry.  Put glue on both holders where they will connect. Since the glass in not porous, wait 2 minutes and then put the two items together.  Make sure the top is center.  Allow to dry for 48 to 72 hours before using.

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And the Award for Breast Supporting Bra goes to...

the Oscar goes to Moving Comfort Juno bra.  Yes, it's Fluffy and I am about to get my run on again.  Now, I was expecting to get a new sport bra or anything new for that matter but my sister works at a running store and invited me to a bra fitting.  (was that a run on sentence?  If it was, well then I'll just say I am warming up for my run tomorrow. )

I have heard of runners being picky about how and where they carry their phone or their water when they run.  Put it in the wrong place and you feel out of balance.  Put them in the right place and well it is like not carrying it at all.  Well imagine carrying two large balloons on your chest that you can't decide to leave at home, or hold in one hand or the other or wear around your waist?  Ok, Ok, maybe sometimes they can hang down to your waist naturally but that is a different topic for a different day. Where was I? Oh, yes....things that make you feel out of balance and no choice of where to put them. 

Well that is the struggle us fluffy, big chested gals have to endure.  We are limited in our choices of where to put them. It is amazing the amount of clothing we are willing to wear to keep them in their place. One "sports bra", one regular bra and another sports bra on top.  (true story)  Some come to accept the limited support that this layering effect gives or they just succumb to the lie that they are too big to run.   Trust me, most women are not too well endowed to run, they just aren't dressed for the occasion.   Buying a bra for running is not a fashion first kind of thing.  First comes the support...function before beauty.  It's not going to feel like slipping into a cozy pair of jammies and fluffy bunny slippers.  No, this thing has to be strong, firm and unforgiving.  It needs to be able to take all the jarring you can give it and still at the end of its day, hold its shape and be ready for another round tomorrow.  It cannot grow tired too soon and give in. No it must endure.

This is why I love Moving Comfort.  They know women. They know women of all sizes with all size breast.  But the best part, they don't just create great bras, they go out of their way to help women find the right bra for them...on an individual basis.

 Today I went to a womens only even at Tri Fit Run in Galveston, Texas.  Deb, from Moving Comfort, spent the day there fitting each woman for a bra and making suggestions on the best bra for each person.  She had all styles and all sizes on hand for everyone to try on.  But you didn't just try on a bra.  She evaluated the fit on you and adjusted the straps so that it fit you properly.  It reminded me of new parents that take their car seat to a local fire station and the firemen help them place the car seat properly into the car so that it is safe for the newborn when they come home in their first car ride from the hospital.  Well, Deb makes sure that when you take your first run, your boobs will be comfortable but more importantly, safe.

But wait there's more!!!!!  I was so excited because not only does Moving Comfort make great supporting bras, they make them in beautiful colors.  So you get fashion and support.  I got the Juno bra.  And I was so excited that it came in more than black and white, that I bought the Aqua one also.   It's hard to find a company that believes that fluffy gals like to look just as fashionable as their non fluffy friends. 

And thank you Deb for making the adjustments so that it fit perfectly. We both left happy campers...I mean runners.

So next time you need a new sports bra or if you never had one, go to your local running store and found out when their next all girl bra fitting gala will be and make sure you go.  If they aren't having one...find another running store or ask them to host one.  And remember, your bra should never have a birthday.

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Did someone say bacon?

  Today I am going to share a quick tip saw on the Food Network that changed my life FOREVER!!!!!  It's how to cook bacon.  I know, I know you're saying how can cooking bacon be a life changer?  Introducing my bacon loving hubby.

This man loves his bacon.  He is Canadian, but no it's not Canadian Bacon...but he loves that also.  So each Saturday I make  pancakes and bacon.  And at least once a week he makes himself a bacon and tomato sandwich.  Prior to this new method of cooking bacon, I use to bring out this big skillet, put on a fireman's uniform, to prevent from burning from grease splatter, and cook the bacon.  Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating a little bit.  There wasn't any fireman's uniform, though it should be required, but there was a lot of ducking and dodging grease balls flying through the air.  And when all was said and done, I had this skillet full of bacon grease that I had to let cool down some and poor into my grease container for disposal.  What a nightmare!

But in walks the Food Network and they share this tip on cooking bacon.  If you place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and then place the bacon flat on the parchment paper, you can cook your bacon in the over.  And yes, it does taste like regular bacon.  The trick is to place the bacon inside a COLD oven and then set the heat for 400 degrees.  I usually cook mine for 14 minutes.  The bacon cooks while the oven is heating up.  Then when  you are done, just roll up the parchment paper and throw it in the trash.  It's like it never happened.

Here is what you need:

This is what you do:

It is so simple.

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Charge me up before you go go

 Being a gadget girl has it's disadvantages.  Sure I can multitask in a single leap, make my way around the US like Lewis and Clark and keep up with family and friends with a touch of a button.  But without power, I am left in the dark, lost and no way to get a hold of anyone.  So power is of the utmost priority for me.  I am always in search of it and in my house, I am not the only one.

A common conversation in our house sounds like this:

Me:  "Anyone seen my iPhone chord?"

Daughter:  "Oh yeah, I took it because I left mine at _____ 's house."

Me:  "Well, let me have it back, please."

Daughter:  "But I haven't picked mine up yet"

Me: "Too bad...let me have it."

So we spend the next few days passing the cord back and forth. Until....she takes it to her friends house and forgets that one also. (sigh)

Then there is the second scenario.

Daughter: "Can _____ borrow your cord? She is spending the night but needs to get up for work in the morning?"  (note...we have alarm clocks in the house but no one uses them).

Me: "What about me?"

Daughter:  "Mom, she isn't going to take it and she is our guest." (sigh for me teaching her good manners)

Well this past holiday season, I decided enough was enough and I found these 4 way chargers from Brookstone.  I loved them so much that I bought one for each member of my family and my daughter's closest friends.  And as each one opened their gift, I told them to just keep this in your car/purse and you will never be powerless again.  I recently used it on a trip to Fort Worth.  You can charge pretty much any gadget with it and charge them in a variety of ways.  Which is great, since I have to charge my Iphone, my headset and my bluetooth keyboard.

The hotel conveniently had power outlets in the base of the lamps (no getting down on hands and knees and reaching behind the bed for a powersource...thank you Comfort Inn).  I just plugged the power into the base, connected the correct attachment and tada...I am charging.  

But I don't have to plug into an outlet, on the left you can see the car charger and to the right is the USB so that you can power via computer or other USB power source.  But that is not all.  Up to this point, it is pretty ho hum, right?  I mean sure, one gadget to charge several types of gadgets via several power sources, what is the big deal?

The big deal is the 9 volt batter you see in the picture.  You see, if you are not near any power source, can you say airport, beach or sight seeing on vacation, all you need is a 9 volt battery.  9 volt batteries can be found anywhere.  And if you have one, you have power for your gadgets?  Don't believe me?  Well just look.

This is my iPhone being charged by a 9 volt battery.  A 9 volt battery will fully charge your IPhone.  Ok, close you mouth. All of a sudden you know you need this thing.  I bought mine on QVC.  But you can buy it directly from  Brookstone.  

So if you are  a gadget girl (boy) and worried about being unplugged, you might like this gadget.  It does not charge my iPad. (booooo).  But I am ok with that.

So here is a question for you.  If you should lose your phone or it should lose charge, can you call someone?  Do you have any phone numbers memorized?  Are there any phone numbers you should have memorized that you don't?

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Paparrazi! Paparrazi!

Ok, call me addicted, but right now the flavor of the month, is researching anything photo/video.  Maybe it is my ADHD but I can focus, no pun intended, on a topic for days and consume as much information on the topic as possible. 

Last night I was listening to  Paperclipping Roundtable and Izzy mentioned photojournalism and Rangefinder cameras.  I had no idea these creatures even existed.  So what did I do?  I googled it and read more about it.  According to Digital Photography School a rangefinder camera is great for photojournalism because they allow you to be more stealth when taking a pictures in public or at an event.

Confused?  So was I!  So if you don't feel like you need all the little details of the rangefinder, here are some basic facts.

1. You use prime lenses only (so you don't zoom etc)
2. The view finder is not centered above the lens so what you see is not exactly what you capture.  (So don't use it for any closeups)
3. It has a mechanism on it that allows the user to measure distance between subject and camera.
4. But for me the best feature is that I can seem inconspicous at family events when I want to take candid pictures.
5. Ok, Ok....and I love the retro look.

However they are crazy crazy expensive so they don't even make the "want" list. They make my " in your dreams if you ever win lotto" list. 

However, on my journey to find an image for the GIF (iPhone tripod mount...not going into details about it...my excitement is what I have to say next.....

I found this iPhone Rangefinder!  It is an Iphone case that turns your Iphone (sorta) into a rangefinder phone.  You view through off center viewfinder, you can use lenses (you can buy case with lenses or without).  It has a place for straps so you can wear it around your neck.  The bottom has universal tripod mount thingy (ok...so I am still learning my terms). And it is just darn stinkin cute!



The iPhone Rangefinder at the Photojojo Store!

Wear around your neck!


The iPhone Rangefinder at the Photojojo Store!

Choose different covers!


The iPhone Rangefinder at the Photojojo Store!

Some of the other features are a Tripod mount on the bottom, magnetic lenses that attach to your lens, viewfinder and real shutter button.

Oh there is also an app at the app store called View Finder Classic that will calculate distance from subject.  It is 99 cents?  WHAT not free?  No, not free but close to it.

Now this will go on my want list! FYI....I have not been contacted by them or anything.  I just found this product and I wanted to share it.  If you have this, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of it? 

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Quick cupcake tip

Over the Christmas season I had a delimma.  You see, my husband works for UPS, so Christmas is the busiest time of the year for him.  He plays Brown Santa from the Monday after Thanksgiving until 11pm Christmas Eve.  At 11 he hands the reigns over to Red Santa so that Santa can fill this world with magic.

So I end up going to all the Holiday events alone.  :(  One night, while at a friend's house, she served these delicious cupcakes.  I had to share them with my hubby. Which means they had to survive the journey home.  Now, I hate squashed food and my hubby is no different.  We looked around her kitchen for something to pack the cupcakes in to keep them safe.  Cellophane over small paper plate...no.  One paper plate over another paper plate....no.  Cute cupcake holder...no (let' s face it,  I am the worst at returning kitchen ware.  (The secret is out....letting me borrow something from your kitchen is practically giving it away to me.)  

And then it donned on me...Solo cups.  Did you know that many normal sized cupcakes fit neatly in them?  They do!  And...And...get this...those cups fit in your cupholders in your car.  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!  So it serves several purposes. 1.  You can only take home as many cup holders you have in your car. (Great if you have no restraint against the yumminess of cupcakes)  2.  Frosting doesn't get squashed.  3. Your hubby gets a nice surprise after spending 14 hours being Brown Santa

Whoda thunk it?

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Where has the year gone?

Can you believe we are already at the first weekend of 2013?  Where did the first few days of 2013 go?  No, seriously, where did it go?  It feels like just yesterday I was thinking, "Man, what am I going to do with 4 1/2 days off of work?"  I started to make a list of projects that I was going to complete, the first one being....take the tree down.  Well it's already the 4th, the holiday is over and the tree is still up and no projects we completed.

To make myself feel better, I am going to say I believe the decor should stay up until Three Kings Day (which is the 6th).  Whew!  Well that gives me until Sunday evening to take down the tree. Besides, my house seems so bare when I take down the decor. Let's face it, I feel confident in temporary decorating that lasts six weeks but when it comes to making decor decisions that should last for years....I'm paralyzed. So that is part of my resolution....no paralysis by analysis.
 

Meanwhile, while I work on that, here a video on embossing. I love embossing on pages and cards.  It allows you to add texture to a page or card, without adding bulk.  I hope you enjoy.  Comments are always welcome and subscribe to my channel by clicking the subscribe button.

 

 

  

 

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