Adjustable sized batteries!
I’ve learned that having a child means having the need for a large amount of batteries of different sizes. There are so many gadgets, toys, sleeping sounds machines, etc that keep my kid happy that I can’t keep up with stocking alkaline power!
The other night we realized that the ‘ocean wonder’ crib accessory had lost juice. Serious problem. The bigger problem was that when we went to grab new ‘C’ batteries for it we realized we were out. My husband used a little trick that apparently he has done for years. I had never seen it done before and had to share!
What an easy thing to do….just wrap scotch tape around a smaller sized battery until you create the size needed. Problem solved!
Mold and mosquitos be gone!
My mother and aunt are pretty awesome ladies. They have taught me many things over my lifetime and a couple ideas they recently passed onto me have been working splendidly. I want to pass on the advice.
Preventing mold on your fruit
I love fresh berries, but I hate how fast mold grows on them. If I don’t eat strawberries, raspberries, etc in a day or two mold starts growing. What a waste!
Mom already taught me that using white vinegar is the best way to kill mold if it grows in food containers…and Lord knows I’m not good at cleaning out the fridge. This trick comes in handy. Why not use the same principle to prevent mold and keep fruit from going bad?
Fill a bowl with 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water. Put your fruit in that for 10 minutes and then thoroughly rinse it. This will help kill any small mold spores and give you 1 to 2 weeks to eat those berries! ***If you are going to put fruit back in the container you bought it, pour the vinegar water over the container and rinse it before placing fruit back.
Keep mosquitoes away with a minty fresh smell
Why use expensive, harsh chemicals to spray your yard to ward off mosquitoes when you can buy a value size bottle of Listerine? That’s right….Listerine. I bought an economy size bottle of generic Listerine, poured it into a spray bottle, and squirted the tar our of my yard. The amount of mosquitoes flying around dropped quite a bit!
My aunt even sprays it on herself to keep the buggers away. That works too, but expect a little stickiness.
Wedding! Retro Bridal Makeup
I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this past weekend with a retro rock vibe. I was also able to do the bride’s makeup! I snapped this photo before her false lashes were added (so you can see more the look of the eyeliner). Also, I applied a red lipstick on her for the reception, but we kept it more subtle for the ceremony with the soft peachy pink lips below.
A handful of colors. We nailed it!….ok enough puns
My friend Laura, who is always on trend and is an amazing hair stylist (if in the Denver area go see her at Grand Salon), keeps me updated on what’s hot. We spent some time in Mexico last month and she showed up with a manicure that had a little flair. Try it out! Paint your ring finger a different color than the rest of your nails.
Some friends came over last weekend and we tried out a handful (there I go again) of color combinations. Check out some ideas:
I love the glitter nails! 
We even got my friend’s daughter on trend.
Love the hot pink and orange
Amplify your phone or handheld music player with a glass!
Let’s be honest, the speakers on my iPhone don’t produce the loudest sound. It isn’t always convenient or possible to have a docking station in order to amplify the music. I have a set of portable speakers that I can plug into my phone, but the battery doesn’t keep it’s charge forever (I do recommend purchasing a set of these though – mine were reasonably priced from iHome). What to do when you want louder music? Set the volume on your phone to medium (so the speakers don’t sound distorted) and set your phone in a medium sized glass. It works!
The Southern Coast of Maine
The first week of November Nick and I took a trip out east and absolutely fell in love with Maine. I highly recommend a trip to the Ogunquit/Kennebunkport area of Maine as either a family trip in the summer or a romantic get-a-way in the spring or fall. We lucked out by having gorgeous and unseasonably warm weather and were able to enjoy the outdoors.
We stayed in Ogunquit at a cozy inn called Terrace by the Sea. Our room had a huge front porch on it and massive fireplace….it was perfect for relaxing and listening to the ocean. The hotel was right in town, but also overlooking the coast, as is most of the businesses and hotels in this area. The great thing about this area, even in the off-season, is that you don’t have to have anything planned to enjoy yourself. Walking around and stopping in various shops and restaurants is easy to do. I would even recommend taking a drive and just getting ‘lost’ in the beauty of the area. We spent a couple hours one day just looking at amazing homes and landscapes.
During our drive one day we went into Kennebunkport. This is another quaint town just north of where we stayed. We spent the afternoon looking at more amazing homes and walking around the town. We sampled some various foods by having a cup of chowder here and splitting a fish sandwich there. At one point we pulled over to the side of the road and were walking around boulders at the sea’s edge when another car with tourists stopped and asked if ‘that’ was President Bush’s home across the water. Well, it was and we hadn’t realized we had been hanging out near it (luckily we must not have looked too much like intruders trying to make our way in!).
Bush's Home
Beautiful coastline, ports, and forests provide tons to see and do in the area. I do plan to revisit Maine with my family in the summer when the beach and area is in full swing. There really is something for everyone – great restaurants, fresh seafood, hiking, shopping, swimming, etc. I highly recommend the area!
http://www.ogunquit.org/ http://www.terracebythesea.com/ http://kennebunkport.org/