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Impress Your Family and Friends With These Thanksgiving Fun Facts

November 19, 2015 by

While the only foods known to have been served during the first Thanksgiving included deer, corn, and fish, today, the fourth Thursday of every November is a bona fide feast of turkey and cranberry sauce. In fact, around 20% of the cranberries consumed in the U.S. every year are eaten on Thanksgiving, and 7 billion pounds of turkey are sold annually for the holiday! Here are some more fun facts about Thanksgiving that you may not already know.

1. Historians believe that seal, swan, and lobster may have also been on the menu during the first Thanksgiving, which took place in 1621.

2. If you're feeling sleepy post-turkey, don't blame the tryptophan. Drowsiness is more likely caused by over-eating and -imbibing!

3. The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at a whopping 86 pounds.

4. Over 3 million people attend Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade every year. The first parade was held in 1924.

5. Benjamin Franklin campaigned for the turkey to be our country's national bird, instead of the bald eagle.

Thanksgiving Fun Facts [WHSV-TV3]
10 Interesting Thanksgiving Facts [TIFO]

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How to Clean Cell Phones and Other Tech Devices

October 22, 2015 by

Since water and electronics don’t exactly go well together, you may wonder how you can safely (and still effectively) clean your much-used tech devices. Since these things accumulate a ton of bacteria due to frequent touching, it’s important to clean them frequently. These tips will show you how.

  1. Use a disinfectant. While you likely want to clean your gadgets to remove those signs of smudging and fingerprints, it’s far more important to clean them to remove germs and bacteria. Use a disinfectant by spraying it lightly on a soft cloth and gently wiping the screen or keyboard—never by using pre-soaked wipes, which can drip into your device.
  2. Care for your touchscreens. Touchscreens may become damaged if they come in contact with alcohol or a disinfectant, so you might want to invest in a cleanser designed especially for them.
  3. Use compressed air. To clean dust from keyboards and crevices in other devices, use a can of compressed air, which can be purchased at your local office supply store.
  4. Clean earbuds. Constantly sticking your earbuds or headphones into your ears isn’t exactly sanitary, so you’ll want to regularly wipe them with an alcohol-dampened cotton swab.
  5. Go easy on the TV. Experts advise against cleaning your flatscreen television with glass cleaner or even water. Instead, wipe the screen gently with a microfiber cloth to remove dust and fingerprints.

How to Safely Disinfect and Clean Your Gadgets [Lifehacker]
How to Clean Your (Disgusting) Cell Phones and Tablets [The Mac Lawyer]
Find out how to clean your cell phone and other dirty gadgets [Today Home]

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These DIY Halloween Decorations Are So Easy to Make, It’s Scary!

September 17, 2015 by

Making your own Halloween decorations is a whole lot more fun than buying them at the store, and there are many projects that might be easier that you'd expect. No matter how artistically inclined you are, you’ll love these simple ideas for decorating your home for Halloween.

Candy Corn Centerpiece [diyncrafts.com]
Turn an old wine or beer bottle into a candy corn-inspired centerpiece that’s perfect for Halloween parties. Simply spray paint shades of yellow, orange, and white onto unused glass bottles and arrange them however you please. As a bonus, you can even set out bowls of real candy corn for guests to snack on.

Tissue Paper Jack O’Lanterns [countryliving.com]
Instead of carving a messy pumpkin with sharp knives, create an equally festive jack-o’-lantern out of some simple tissue paper balls from the craft store. Cover them with construction paper facial features to make an entire army of adorable faux pumpkin faces.

Recycled Paper Bats [treehugger.com]
Do a bit of good for the environment by using recycled construction paper to create these sweet and scary hanging bats. Since they use an easy origami pattern, you can even construct these realistic bats without any cutting or gluing.

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What Are Sliding Puzzles? Find Out Here!

August 20, 2015 by

If you love puzzles, you’re likely always looking for new styles to challenge your mind. Sliding puzzles are great options for anyone who wants to improve his or her special reasoning and logic skills, and there are countless different ways to play.

Sliding puzzles involve moving flat pieces along certain routes.
The end game of most sliding puzzles is to reach a certain configuration, which makes it important to consider your next move with each current move you make.

Sliding puzzles can use a variety of different pieces.
Many sliding puzzles use marbles enclosed in a board, while others use blocks, tokens, or even digital game boards to play online.

Players are not permitted to lift pieces off of the board.
This is the main difference between sliding puzzles and other types of rearrangement puzzles. Because you are unable to lift the pieces to move them, it’s important to clear a space for future moves.

Sliding puzzles are fairly common and easy to find.
Some popular sliding puzzles are the original Fifteen Puzzle, Inakube, Klotski, Minus Cube, and Jumbly.

Sliding Puzzles [Wikipedia]

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Summertime Craft Projects the Whole Family Can Make

July 23, 2015 by

If your creative family is always looking for fun and imaginative activities to do as a group, summer is the perfect time to really think outside the box when it comes to your crafting. Here are three cool, useful projects that you can complete while working together as a family this summer.

Tin Can Wind Chime [mpmschoolsupplies.com]
Instead of throwing out those used tin cans, use them to create a colorful wind chime with your little ones. Simply paint the exterior of the cans in bright, primary colors, then let the kids go wild adding their own pictures and designs. Attach them to a wire hanger using sturdy strings and you'll hear surprisingly relaxing sounds every time the wind picks up.

Colorful Kite [bhg.com]
Kids love watching kites soar through the air on a windy day, and your little ones will love their kites even more if they make them at home. Use this tutorial to create your own DIY kite using only paper, glue, sticks, and some colorful paints.

Dragonfly Magnets [thecraftycrow.net]
On your next rainy day, gather the kids around the kitchen table to make cute dragonfly magnets out of everyday clothespins. Simply attach construction paper “wings” to the top of the clothespin, add a magnet on the back and then encourage the kids get creative with the markers, pens, and glitter glue.

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Organize Your Dresser in 4 Easy Steps

July 9, 2015 by

If you’re like most people, your dresser is likely prone to becoming messy, jumbled and, after a long work week, maybe even overflowing. If you want to finally organize your dresser drawers — and keep them that way — use these four simple tips for daily dresser maintenance.

  • Tackle the top. Begin by adding an attractive tray to the top of your dresser where you can corral perfumes, lotions, spare change, and other smalls. Hang a mirror if the dresser doesn’t already have one, then consider adding a lamp if your space is lacking in light.
  • Add dividers. For drawers that hold folded items, such as t-shirts, purchase drawer dividers from a home goods store to keep everything in its right place.
  • Fold clothes vertically. Instead of folding your clothes and stacking them horizontally on top of one another, line them up vertically so that you can easily identify each item.
  • Think outside the drawer. While you might think of using dresser drawers only for clothing, you can also use them to store other loose items. Line a bottom drawer with shoes, add felt liners for jewelry or even use a top drawer for beauty products if you don’t have space for a separate vanity.

How to Organize Your Dresser [Real Simple]
The Only Dresser Organization Hacks You'll Ever Need [Huffington Post]
Organizing Closets and Drawers [Martha Stewart]
40 Brilliant Closet and Drawer Organizing Projects [DIY & Crafts]

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Weight Loss Tips for New Dieters

June 18, 2015 by

You’ve never had to watch your weight before, but it seems like all of those years of eating whatever you want are suddenly catching up with you. If you’re about to embark on your first diet, use these simple tips to stay on track and maximize results.

  1. Think about it in the long-term. Instead of thinking of your diet as something that will eventually end, consider it a lifestyle change. That way, you’ll be able to maintain your results and even indulge in the occasional treat.
  2. Aim for realistic goals. Instead of starting an extreme diet to lose a very large amount of weight each week, set realistic goals that you can safely and healthily meet. For example, aiming to lose 2 pounds per week is a healthy and attainable weight loss goal that will still yield major results.
  3. Skip the fad diets. Instead of falling for a fad diet that cuts out a major food group or involves complicated meal plans, opt for a healthy diet that includes whole foods and balanced meals.
  4. Keep it simple. Fill your diet with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and the occasional healthy whole grains and you’ll have no problem shedding those extra pounds.

Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting Tips [HelpGuide.org]
The 25 Best Diet Tricks of All Time [Health]
Jillian Michaels: Weight-Loss Tips That Work [Health]

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What to Keep in Mind When Counting Calories

June 4, 2015 by

You know that counting calories is essential when it comes to losing weight, but do you really understand exactly what calories are? Here are a few things that you should understand about your caloric intake.

  1. Know the definition. A calorie is a term used to describe how much energy there is in a food. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function, but excess calories turn into fat.
  2. Know your limit. Everyone has a different daily calorie limit, and it all depends on your sex, age, height, and weight. You’ll need to visit a doctor or find a chart online to determine your personal recommended daily intake.
  3. Create a calorie log. Keep track of how many calories you consume by recording your meals in a daily diary.
  4. Evenly distribute calories. Plan ahead of time so that you can split up your calories between each meal of the day. Be careful not to consume the majority of your calories in the morning, because you won’t have many remaining to "spend" on dinner.
  5. Beware of beverages. Many people don’t realize it, but the calories in drinks can really take a toll on your daily calorie limit. Be careful to record all of the beverages that you consume in addition to your meals.

Eat the Right Amount of Calories For You [Choose My Plate]
Estimated Calorie Requirements [WebMD]
American Cancer Society Calorie Counter [American Cancer Society]

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Update Basic Magnets and Pushpins WIth These Fun Tutorials

May 21, 2015 by

Who says office supplies have to be boring? Here are a few crafty ways to transform your basic pushpins and magnets into something eye-catching, playful, and perhaps a bit chic.

Bottle Cap Magnets and Thumbtacks [marthastewart.com]
Start saving up those used bottle caps, because you’re certainly going to want to try this adorable DIY project from Martha Stewart. Simply glue a small photo inside of each bottlecap, then use contact cement to attach them to the magnets and pushpins and create a tiny photo gallery.

DIY Gold Magnetic Letters [inspiredbycharm.com]
If you loved making silly words and phrases from those colorful magnetic letters as a kid, you’ll enjoy this chic, updated version just as much. Just cover those childish magnets with luxe gold spray paint for a modern, updated look.

Washi Tape Clothespins [designertrapped.com]
By covering affordable wooden clothespins with different types of colorful washi tape, you can create this fun project in less than an hour. Add adhesive magnets to the backs of each clothespin to use them on the refrigerator, or line them up on a wire to hang photos from a wall.

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Have a Penchant for Color? Here’s What Your Home’s Decor Says About You!

April 16, 2015 by

Whether you love the chic, soothing touch of relaxing neutral shades or you're partial to bright, bold pops of color, your home’s color scheme says a lot about your personality. Use this guide to find out exactly what your color choices mean for your lifestyle.

  • Orange. If you notice a lot of bright bursts of orange throughout your living space, it means that you’re confident and expressive. Orange expands your mindset and fosters creativity.
  • Pink. Pink is the color of romance and sensitivity, which makes it a perfect choice for a bedroom or a warm, cozy living room.
  • Blue. If you’re partial to blue, it likely means that you’re organized and driven. This color helps to limit clutter and encourages deep thinking.
  • Green. The color green is often related to money, but it is also the color most commonly found in nature. People who are partial to green are likely in tune with life’s riches, both physical and emotional.
  • Red. Red is one of the most stimulating colors, and it is often attributed to people who are self-confident and fearless.
  • Yellow. Those who prefer yellow in the home are deeply intelligent and conversational. This color helps to enhance positive thinking.
  • White. Often associated with freshness and simplicity, white is perfect for those who view their home as a respite from the outside world.

How to Fix Your House with Color [House Beautiful]
Color Meanings [Interior Designpedia]
Room Color and How it Affects Your Mood [Freshome]

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