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How to Pour Wine Like a Pro Sommelier

February 20, 2015 by

You don’t have to splurge on a $100 aged Cabernet Sauvignon in order to seem like a real wine expert; all it takes are a few smart tips and some essential wine-serving tools. Follow these simple steps to impress your guests the next time you serve them a glass of red.

  1. Maintain the proper temperature. A surefire way to come across as a newbie wine drinker is by serving your bottle at the wrong temperature. Light or sparkling white wines should be served at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain their fresh flavor, while fuller whites and lighter reds should be 50 to 60 degrees. For full-bodied reds, stick to a warmer 60 degrees.
  2. Stock up on enough wine. It could be embarrassing to run out of wine before everyone has their fill, so as a general rule, imagine that each bottle serves approximately five glasses.
  3. Invest in good wine glasses. They don’t have to be expensive, but having real wine glasses does add to the experience. Also, be sure to wash the glasses by hand and dry them with a clean linen towel to ensure that they don’t affect the flavor of the wine.
  4. Fill the proper amount. As a general rule, fill the glass to just below its widest point. This will make you look like a true sommelier and make your guests feel like wine aficionados themselves.

How to Serve Wine 101: Tips on the Perfect Serving Temperature [Wine Spectator]
Frey Organic Wine Serving Tips [Frey Vineyards]
25 Tips on How to Serve Wine [Bauduc Blog]

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Soothing Home Remedies for Sore Throats

February 13, 2015 by

When the cold weather takes a toll on your household in the form of sore throats and stuffy noses, you’re likely searching for any way to find a bit of relief. Here are a few home remedies that might just soothe your sore throat without the use of over-the-counter medications—just remember to check with your doctor first!

  1. Gargle with salt water. Sore throats are caused when the cells in the mucous membranes become swollen and inflamed, and gargling with salt water helps reduce this swelling. By warming the saltwater solution, you can also wash away the excess mucous and clear your nasal passages.
  2. Make an apple cider vinegar drink. Apple cider vinegar is filled with healthy properties, and its high levels of acidity help to kill bacteria that cause illness. Make a drink using one tablespoon of ACV, one tablespoon of honey and one cup of hot water, then sip it slowly and feel the relief.
  3. Try marshmallow root. This strange root named after the sugary candy helps to coat the throat and relieve pain. Steep one tablespoon of the dried root in boiling water for 30 to 60 minutes, then strain and drink.
  4. Chew on cloves. For fast and easy relief, try the natural painkiller eugenol found in cloves. Simply suck on a whole clove until it becomes soft enough to chew like gum, then spit it out when finished.

10 Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat [Health]
22 Natural Sore Throat Remedies to Help Soothe the Pain [Everyday Roots]
Sore Throat Remedies: 16 Natural Gargles [Reader’s Digest]

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The Internet’s Best DIY Photo Album Sites

February 6, 2015 by

Nothing can give a space a personal touch quite like framed photos of friends and family. Whether you're looking to spruce up your home or give a personalized gift to that special someone, these two photo service websites are for you.

Shutterfly
Arguably the internet's most popular photo service site, Shutterfly makes it easy to create custom photo albums, collages, stationery, calendars, and much more. Simply upload your favorite photos from your computer and start designing. The gift portion of the site allows you to design mugs, canvas prints, totes, tees, smart phone cases, magnets, mousepads—even blankets!—using your favorite photos. Better still, the website's prices are affordable, and frequent online coupon codes promise even more bang for you buck.

Snapfish
Whatever the occasion, Snapfish likely has a commemorative gift with which to remember it by. Create a wedding photo album, design graduation announcements, or put a personal touch on greeting cards and stationery. Like Shutterfly, Snapfish also offers a wide variety of photo gifts, from mugs and calendars to blankets and jewelry. Or you can just keep it simple and order standard prints!

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How to Put an End to Procrastination

February 3, 2015 by

Whether you put off your homework, daily tasks at your job, or even the cleaning around your rental home, procrastination is a struggle that affects just about everyone. Here are a few smart and savvy tricks that can help you banish the urge to procrastinate once and for all.

  1. Change your attitude. Instead of treating your task like a job, treat it like something that will advance your career or provide you with fulfillment. If you feel like you want to do a task rather than feeling like you have to do it, it will make you less likely to procrastinate.
  2. Give yourself a deadline. Even if your specific task doesn’t have to be done at a certain time, you’ll become more productive if you feel like it does. Set a deadline for yourself and you’ll start to work to meet it.
  3. Rein in your emotions. If you’re nervous to begin a task or afraid of failing, it’s likely that you won’t start at all. Do whatever you need to pump yourself up and stop setting yourself up for failure.
  4. Make yourself accountable. If all else fails, tell friends and family in order to keep yourself accountable for your goals. Tell everyone that you’re training for a marathon and you’ll be more likely to go out on that morning run.

How to Stop Procrastinating [Scientific American]
Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination [The McGraw Center]
Why You Procrastinate, and How to Stop It. Now. [Forbes]

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How to Care for Fresh-Cut Flowers

January 23, 2015 by

You just received a colorful bouquet from a sweet admirer, and you want to make the beautiful flowers last for as long as you can. There are a few tips for caring for fresh-cut flowers that will help you to keep that bouquet looking fresh for as long as possible, and they’re actually surprisingly simple.

  1. Place them in water quickly. This one may seem like a no brainer, but every second counts when it comes to preserving the life of your fresh-cut flowers. Be sure to place the flowers in a vase as soon as possible.
  2. Cut flowers under water. It is fairly common knowledge that cutting the lower portion of the flower’s stem will help it to absorb water, but many experts agree that cutting the stem while it is submerged will help it even more by ensuring that no air enters.
  3. Always use a preservative. If your fresh flowers come with a small sachet of powder preservatives, be sure to add the powder to the water before placing the flowers in the vase. Alkaline-heavy water can reduce the lifespan of flowers, but preservatives help neutralize the water.
  4. Store flowers in a cool spot. Although you likely want to keep your flowers on display when you are at home, place them in the refrigerator when you leave the house in order to lengthen their lifespan.

Cut-Flower Care—How to Make Your Fresh-Cut Flowers Last [Brooklyn Botanic Garden]
Keeping cut flowers and flowering plants [University of Minnesota]

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How to Tackle Stubborn Coffee, Wine and Ink Stains

January 16, 2015 by

Your morning cup of coffee is a beautiful sight for weary eyes—but not when it's spilled down the front of your go-to work shirt. Keep these stain-fighting tips handy so you can meet common household stains with a plan of attack.

To remove coffee and tea stains:
Coffee and tea are categorized as "tannin" stains. These types of stains should be treated with detergent as opposed to soap. If the fabric is washable, you'll want to pre-treat the stain with a stain remover, then toss the garment into the wash with an enzyme detergent on the hottest water temperature permissible for the fabric. If you prefer, you can pre-treat the stain with a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water, then wash.

To remove wine stains:
Also a tannin stain, wine stains are easier to remove when fresh. First, blot the stain using a lint-free towel to remove as much of the wine as possible. Before the stain can dry and "set" into the fabric, soak the garment in a solution of water and oxygen-based laundry booster. Afterwards, wash the garment in a regular laundry cycle of hot water.

To remove ink stains:
Place a towel underneath the stain, then blot the ink with another lint-free towel that's dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will transfer the ink to the towel that's underneath the shirt, so don't use your favorite bath towel for this method!

17 Easy Stain Removal Tips [Lifescript]
Stain Removal Tricks and Shortcuts [Real Simple]
Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal [Ohio State University]
6 Easy Recipes for Removing Nasty Stains [Wonder HowTo]

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How to Hem Pants Like an Expert Tailor

December 19, 2014 by

If you’ve ever tried on a pair of pants and thought, “These would be perfect if only they weren’t so long,” it may be time for you to learn how to hem. Hemming is a fairly simple sewing technique that just about anyone can learn, and it can save you a great deal of money on tailoring. Check out these smart tutorials for hemming at home.

How to Hem Pants [about.com]
This accessible tutorial offers both high quality images and an instructional video to help beginning sewers learn how to hem. It also describes the types of tools that you’ll need and what to do every step of the way.

How to Hem Dress Pants Like a Pro [manmadediy.com]
The DIY Tailor offers a wide variety of genius tips for mending and altering clothes at home, but the site’s tutorial about hemming dress pants is one of its most brilliant. This tutorial is designed specifically for business professional pants.

How to Hem a Pair of Pants [wikihow.com]
WikiHow is beloved for its straightforward, photo-heavy tutorials for how to do just about anything, and this hemming lesson is just as simple. It even describes how to rip out the old hem before beginning.

How to Hem Jeans (And Keep the Original Hem) [sewmuchado.com]
By keeping the original hem in a pair of jeans that need hemmed, this tutorial will make your hemming much easier and more professional looking.

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Create Something Great With These DIY Blogs

November 28, 2014 by

DIY-ers know that there’s no shortage of online instructional videos and websites showing you how to make everything from a bed made of wood palettes to your own beaded jewelry. If you’re a crafty girl or guy who loves to build things from scratch, these two creative websites are full of ideas to get your gears turning:

Pretty Handy Girl
Though the name implies that it’s a site for females, Pretty Handy Girl is full of ideas that all types of people will love. From complex home renovation projects to simple arts and crafts ideas, this site will help you make your house look as chic and stylish as a page in a magazine. It also features a peek inside the blogger's toolbox, helping beginning DIY enthusiasts learn which tools are necessary for just about any project.

Makezine
Makezine is a complete online resource for all things DIY, from project instructions and tutorials to meet-ups with other makers in your area. The main page offers interesting articles about incredible projects that other people have made, as well as the latest news from the DIY world. There’s also a database full of how-to guides, video tutorials, and even categories dividing projects by various subjects. Whether you’re a recreational DIY-er or an amateur inventor, Makezine has something for everyone.

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Make Your Own Jewelry With These Easy Tutorials

November 7, 2014 by

Making jewelry is a stylish, creative craft beloved by people of all ages. Crafters love that they can customize each piece to their exact preferences, and it also saves you money if you’re a bit of a jewelry addict. Here are three helpful tutorials that will show you how to start making your own jewelry right in your own home.

Suede and Chain Woven Bracelet [yesmissy.com]
This DIY jewelry project is worlds away from the braided friendship bracelets from your youth. With a bit of glitz from the metal chain and a touch of neutral color from the suede rope, these bracelets rival the ones that you would buy at a pricey jewelry boutique.

Bobby Pin Earrings [themetricchild.blogspot.com]
You may not have ever considered using bobby pins as jewelry, but once you see this adorably edgy jewelry DIY you’ll wish that you had thought of it sooner. Painting the pins with nail polish also enables you to add a bit of color to coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe.

Polymer Clay Bead Necklace [delightedmomma.com]
Polymer clay necklaces have been floating around the blogs for quite some time now, but this completely customizable version is one of the best. You can mold the clay beads into exactly the sizes that you want, and you can also choose paint colors to create your favorite palette.

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Essential Beauty-Enhancing Products You Already Have at Home

September 26, 2014 by

The next time you want to try a new beauty product, you might want to start by browsing your kitchen cabinets instead of heading to the drugstore. Many common foods and oils can double as creams, scrubs, and skin treatments! Here are a few beneficial beauty products that you likely already own.

  1. Tea bags. Instead of investing in a pricey eye cream to get rid of those dark circles after a night out, use some tea bags instead. Soak two green tea bags in warm water and lay them on your eyelids. The caffeine will shrink the appearance of blood vessels, while the antioxidants reduce inflammation.
  2. Oatmeal. Make your own face treatment by using your favorite breakfast oats. Place a handful of whole oats inside of a washcloth and secure it closed with a rubber band. Soak the whole thing in a sink of warm water until the water turns cloudy, and then splash it onto your face. This will create a protective barrier on the skin that seals in moisture and provides anti-inflammatory properties.
  3. Oranges. Use oranges to get rid of pesky dry patches on the skin. Squeeze half of an orange into a bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Rub the other half of the orange on dry knees or elbows to loosen the dead cells, and then rub on your homemade scrub to slough them away.

Have A Spa Day…At Home! 10 DIY Beauty Treatments! [Seventeen]
Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness]
Crazy Beauty Tricks That Really Work [Whole Living]
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman’s Day]

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