Solo Photo Cup Contest

Solo is having an online photo contest through August 6.  The grand prize is $5,000 for posting the best photo featuring Solo products.  There are also two $1,000 runner-up prizes and daily and weekly prizes simply for entering.

Solo sent me a "Celebrate Summer with Solo" pack so we could enter the contest.  Included in it were some of the new Squared cups, items to decorate the cups with, flower seeds, and treats.  

My oldest is used to deliveries coming daily to our house due to this blog and Tupperware.  He asks every time if it is for him and sadly I have to almost always say no.  When this box arrived he was ecstatic when I told him he could use what was inside the box.  We immediately opened it and he couldn't wait to decorate a cup.  The above picture is him laying in our kitchen floor decorating the cup with a glitter pen.  He had a blast and was very excited to plant the seeds in his decorated cup.

Grab a Solo cup, take a fun picture, then head on over to the contest and enter your photo for a chance to win.  Hurry though as the contest ends this Friday, August 6.

Disclaimer: MomSelect and Solo provided me with the above prize pack.  No other compensation occurred.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've always considered myself fairly frugal but I do draw the line on how far I will go to save money.  Making my own laundry detergent used to be on that list of items I would not do but changed my mind some time last year.  After months of hardly any sales on the few laundry detergents my son can use without breaking out in a rash, I decided to give the homemade detergent a try.  

I think one thing that turned me off to it was most of the recipes I had seen were for liquid detergent that made massive amounts.  I'm a liquid fan but I didn't want to have to store that much.  I'm not a huge fan of powdered detergent but ran across and easy recipe and decided to give it a try.  I'm so glad I did because it is easy and is saving our family a bundle.  There are literally hundreds of variations of this recipe on the internet but this is the one I've found that works best for us.

1/2 bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Super Wash Soda
1/2 cup Mule Team Borax 

Grate the Fels-Naptha soap then mix with the Wash Soda and Borax.  Use 1 tablespoon per each load of laundry.

I tend to make a double batch so that I always have plenty on hand.  I've also learned that it is easier to grate the soap if you take it out of the wrapper and allow it to dry out for a few days.

All of these ingredients were found at my local grocery store and with the exception of the soap, they will last a long time.  I've been using this detergent for about six months and I'm still on my original box of borax and washing soda.

Thomas the Tank Engine Cake

I posted a little over a week ago that I was attempting a Thomas the Tank Engine cake for my son's fourth birthday.  Well, it turned out pretty good so I thought I would share it with you.  First, check out this great Thomas cake tutorial to see how I did it. I will admit mine isn't nearly as great as hers but seeing as I have no training in cake decorating and this is my first ever shaped cake, I'm pretty darn proud of how it turned out.

 

You will notice that the cake is leaning pretty bad to one side.  Luckily, it held up just fine and survived until the party.

For years I've wanted to learn cake decorating but have never really had the chance to.  About a month before I decide to tackle this, I told my husband that my goal is to take the Wilton classes once he graduates from college in May.  It just so happens this is near my birthday so I might ask for the classes and supplies as my gift.

Sugar Scrub Gift

 That would be my son's hand as he felt the need to put his hand in every picture.

Need a quick and easy gift that doesn't look like you waited until the last minute?  We made these adorable sugar scrubs at MOPS last week.  You can adjust the amounts to fit any jar but aren't the baby food jars cute?


Basic Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp oil (we used vegetable but use what you have on hand)
2-3 drops essential oil


Mix all and fit in a stage 2 (4 oz) jar - you may need to pack it a little .  To use, rub a little bit on your hands or feet and rinse with cool water.  Do not use hot water as the heat will melt the sugar before it has a chance to work.  Follow up with lotion and you will have very soft skin.

To decorate the lid we cut out a 2" circle from decorative scrapbook paper.  Apply with any adhesive.  Add a flower (or 2) using pop dots or glue dots.  Top with a button or jewel.  We made some with buttons and some with jewels that were leftover from another craft and all of them looked adorable.This is an easy way to use up materials around your house for a cute, quick, and easy gift.

What Is A Party Without Cake?

I've had fun discovering so many blogs this week through the Ultimate Blog Party. I feel a party is never complete though unless there is cake. For those new to this blog, my toddler turned 3 at the end of February. The above picture is my attempt at making him a cow cake. The idea came from Family Fun. The cake itself can be any recipe so I choose to use my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

This recipe from Hershey's is delicious and very easy to make. Warning, the batter is extremely runny but it comes out perfect once it is cooked. Pretty much any time I want a chocolate cake, this is the recipe I use. I've never made the icing that comes with it but I've had it at a friend's house and it is very good.

Last Minute Gift: White Chocolate Popcorn

If you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift, white chocolate popcorn is about as easy as they come. I made packages of these for my son's Sunday School teachers and his babysitter. I put them in cellophane bags that can be bought at craft stores for about $1 for 50. Christmas tins work great too. To make them even more festive, feel free to add M&M's, red hots, or other colorful candies.

White Chocolate Popcorn

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped
1/2 lb white chocolate melting wafers (found at most craft stores)

Once popcorn has cooled, remove any unpopped kernels. Place in a large bowl. Melt chocolate in microwave, 10 seconds at a time. Be careful not to burn chocolate. Pour chocolate over popcorn, seal bowl, and shake until popcorn is cooled. Pour out onto waxed paper and let cool for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, break up large pieces and package.

* This works with almond bark too but the wafers melt better and have a stronger chocolate flavor.

Kitchen Magnets

I'm feeling crafty this week and with all of the Christmas talk from yesterday so I thought I would show you how to make cool kitchen magnets. I started with clear glass gems that I found at Hobby Lobby in the floral department. There were approximately 70 for $4.00 (sometimes they are half price). I've also seen them in smaller quantities at the dollar store. I used the larger size but they do make a smaller gem. I prefer the larger because they are less of a chocking hazard.

Then, I gathered leftover scrapbook paper and old magazines. Trace the glass gem on the paper or magazine and cut it out. You will probably have to trim it once you cut it but it does not have to be perfect.

Put glue on top of the image and glue to the flat side of the gem. I used Elmer's school glue and it holds up just fine. I have heard others mention silicone glue but since Elmer's works for me, that is what I used. The glue will dry clear. Make sure the edges of your image are glued down well.

Finally, add a magnet. I've found the rolls of magnets are not strong enough, so I used button magents. Michael's sells 50 for $5.99 but they are not self adhesive. I found the self adhesive ones at Walmart and they were around $2 for 18. I prefer one less step of messy glue so I went with the ones from Walmart. This pictures shows the backside of the magnet.

To package these for gifts, Altoid tins make a great holder. The top can be covered in scrapbook paper. Most craft stores also sell little decorative tins for a buck or two. We made these as a craft at MOPS a few weeks ago and the ladies loved them. They look expensive but they are really pennies to make.