Personalized Guess Who!

Sorry for being down & out for the past while- been finishing up yet another under grad degree- just one more exam! Yay!

Anyways, here's a really cute idea that I came across-a personalized Guess Who game! Who didn't/doesn't love Guess Who? Joe's bum chin, Maria's green hat! (Btw I'm talking about the original because they changed the new one...I know wtf?)

So, this idea was found at UCreate, another adorable,inspiring blog I came across. Anyways, this project is super easy- really great for kids to add in family members or their friends! For grown-ups- make it funny with funny characters in you or your friends lives!

Guess Who boards can still be bought at most major retailers but also keep an eye our for the original at Thrift Stores (yes, another plug for my favorite stores!).

Anyways enjoy this! So simple!

Knitting: Not your grandmother's hobby!

As you can probably tell, I quite enjoy doing crafts and crafty things. One thing I have tried to do but didn't quite get into was: knitting. Who doesn't love something handmade and knitted? New modern techniques and patterns allow for amazing and really cool things to wear! And for some reason, I'm sure of which can be proven scientifically, is that mittens that were knitted for you somehow keep your hands warmer-or perhaps your heart is just warmer? :)

Anyways! I have yet to dapple in knitted creations but really want to- it's one of this things that I've always wanted to do. It is an inexpensive hobby and something fun that you can do to keep your hands busy while you watch tv or pass time. Speaking of that, I came across this article: Idle Pastime: In Off Hours, Truckers Pick Up Stitching With Less to Haul, Drivers Try New Hobbies; Quilting in the Cab, on a blog I read. And yup, it's exactly what you think.

Basically the article is about truckers who, during the tough economy, have less haul and more downtime and have taken up quilting and knitting! I think my favorite quote from the whole article was this: "The fact that you can take strands of thread and basically make something out of it, that's awesome I think," he said. "It's pretty cool stuff, man." Beside the quote is a picture of him, Kevin Abraham-Banks, a trucker, and he is making a sweater for his wife! How cute is that?

Anyways, for those who would like to knit there is hope for you! You can: YouTube it and teach yourself, ask someone to teach you (most people who already know how to knit are more than happy to help you) or take a class (if you live in the city!). The Loop on Barrington Street in Halifax, offers a variety of knitting and crocheting classes (pre req for Beginner Knitting?: You can't knit.) The classes there cost around $50 and it includes your materials. I'm sure it's totally worth it and a skill you won't be able to put down :)

Better After

This is my new favorite blog! And here's another plug for Google Reader- it was a suggested blog I would like based on blogs I'm already subscribed to! Oh, how right you were google reader!

Anyways, Better After is awesome because it is completely before & after pictures! Two of my favorite hobbies: taking something and repurposing it, and looking at what other people take and repurpose!

The blogger also encourages people to send in their own little projects which is really cool and another great way to share!

Basically this blog was the mother ship calling me home- so please if you enjoy my blog I guarantee you will enjoy this one!!

Free Rice!

Not for you-people who need it! Here's the deal: you answer questions (vocab) and each answer you get right, you donate 10 grains of rice! I was passed along this site my the little bowl of rice in my life, my friend Cassidy (her blog: Noodles and Spice).

So, about this site:
FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Our partner is the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

FreeRice has two goals:
Provide education to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your education can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.

As of today,March 24th there has been 53,028,240 grains of rice donated yesterday. To date? Over 76 billion grains donated.

Amazeballs.

Seriously it works. If you're uncertain or have never seen any of these donating sites before, check out their FAQ to learn more- it's really neat! Help yourself, help others! Your brain=better their bellies-fuller!!

Thanks Cassidy for passing this along!! :)

Earth Hour 2010

It's that time of year again- Christmas for environmentalists and earth lovers- its Earth Hour 2010! For those of you who aren't familiar, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, wherever you are in the universe you shut off all your lights for one hour. It's so neat, so powerful and something that you can easily be a part of! Here is a little bit of history on Earth Hour from their site:

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. So sign up now and let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!.

It’s Showtime! Show the world what can be done.

So neat! The website has a spot where you can create a virtual lantern as a symbol of your commitment to the cause- also you can send it along to a friend to engage them in the process! They even offer How-to Guides for businesses, bars and communities on how they can participate!

Think you are only one person and can't really make a difference? Well sign up to show your support and then you can see a map of the number of people on each continent who have made the commitment! Click here to sign up!

So Saturday night, don't read my blog, turn off the lights and enjoy the one hour of a major movement- literally of worldwide proportions! Also feel free to check out the WWF's website for more information and a Canadian perspective & their reasoning for you to participate: Political leaders have not yet negotiated a global deal on climate change. Demand action by joining the largest environmental movement in history.

This is more than a petition or a protest- it's action translated in showing what we want! Don't be the only house with it's lights on :)

Free Stuff!! & best meatloaf ever!

Now that I have your attention: FREE STUFF!!....seriously!

As a part of the Globe & Mails' Smart Cookie section, they have an article, Where to find free stuff. A favorite of mine is free samples! We always get too many bills, letters,boring stuff etc. in the mail so why not sign up and get something good for once!

One of my personal favorite free items is the Kraft What's Cooking magazine (link is to the online version). They have really simple and great recipes- using mostly Kraft products which are great because they are accessible, affordable and easy (I like easy, obviously). They also have a feature where you enter ingredients that you have, you select for what meal and they suggest a recipe! So neat!

Also, check out my favorite recipe of all-time, Favorite Meatloaf which primarily relies on a box of Stove Top Stuffing mix- so easy, so good and really yummy! You can also try making it in a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan to make little meat loafs that freeze really well!

Oh and while the meatloaf is cooking, freshen up your ipod with Meatloaf "I would do anything for love", awesome love ballad, and extra Meatloaf in your day, but no more calories!

Cleaning out your closet!

It is such a beautiful day here in Halifax today! Although it is only 5 degrees, it feels like 30 since we're just coming off of winter. Ofcourse, nice weather brings about spring cleaning.

I just wanted to share my experience related to spring cleaning- recently I cleaned out my closet (I have way too many clothes that I don;t wear) and brought them to a consignment shop. For those of you not familiar with consignment shops, basically you take your clothes that you don't want and they sell them for you. The standard amount is they keeo 60% and you keep 40% of whatever the item sells for. It's a pretty good deal if you don't wear the clothes and want to make a little bit of money. The shop I deal with, Put me on (Queen Street, Halifax) sets up an account with you and you can periodically check-in to see if your clothes sold. In my contract, I opted to have the clothes donated if they don't sell after a certain period of time ( a few months or so). It is really nice because they then donate your clothes to charitys that they have selected.

So, let the weather inspire you today to clean out your closet! Don't forget about other charities that also accept clothing donations such as The Salvation Army Thrift Store (in Halifax, they have student discount days!) and also the Canadian Diabetes Association who actualyl takes items that you donate (ps they will acutally send a truck to your house to pick stuff up if you arrange it!) and they sell it to Value Village (neat eh?) They also have those big red boxes in the parking lots found at Superstore. For more information on their Clothesline program as it is called, click here.

A little bit overwhelmed by your closet? Here is a site that offers a cool "box method" of how to sort your clothes and figure out what you actually need!

Profession, As Determined By Beard Length

When I need some brainless humor, I frequent Collegehumor.com. Recently I stumbled upon this picture, which was obviously awesome and needed to be shared. So, if you're bored, don't want to think too much and want to laugh, check it out.

Sew what!

Sewing seems to be a skill that our parents and grandparents were proficient at but something we only dappled in (grade 7 sewing class was the extent for some of us). So I, as an avid cross stitcher transfer some of my skills to sewing (there is a difference between the two). I've had a few conversations with some of my friends who have always wanted to learn to sew.

So, here I am compiling a few good resources for those who want to teach themselves to sew!

Martha Stewart.com- offers projects (complete instructions, materials and tools lists), templates and help with techniques. March 30th, Martha is launching "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts". I have yet to see it (obviously) but I do own her Encyclopedia of Crafts, and it's amazing and so easy to follow and I assure you that this will be as well.

Design*Sponge- I've already mentioned this in a previous blog, however they have some recent posts with Sewing 101 projects and techniques.

The best thing about sewing, is that you can learn by doing- making mistakes is ok-it's the best way to learn. If you want some cheap fabric to test on, check out: Walmart by the cutting counter- they often have scraps pre-cut for cheap prices, secondhand stores always have napkins and scrap fabric, and fabric stores always have good bargain buys.

For those who need some more structure, fabric store (i.e. Atlantic Fabric) offer sewing classes (a common pre req is complete lack of knowledge on sewing, so don't be scared!) Also, if you're scared- start out with a kids project to get familiar!

Anyways hope this helps to motivate you to sew!

Chicken Corn Chowder- Yum-O!

If I had to guess I would say that it has been about minus a billion outside in the past little while and to me, this is unacceptable. I actually am not a winter hater like many, in fact I am a winter baby- born on Winter solstice. But I find it difficult to appreciate winter and it's beauty on days where I think even my bones are frozen. Solution? Find quick ways to thaw out.

I'm going to share my heart healthy chicken corn chowder recipe that my dad always makes- it is soooooooooooo good, will warm you up and is so easy to make.

So I am not a cook. I make about 3 things well (including KD, which I have mastered in the microwave ps). But this is so simple and involves a lot of nice healthy ingredients and also good to note is that it freezes well to save up for the next cold spell. So here is some yummy for your tummy, enjoy!:

Chicken Corn Chowder

1 t olive oil
1 lg onion finely chopped
1 red pepper diced
1 all purpose potato – peeled and diced
2 slices bacon diced (optional)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 can creamed corn
¾ lb of skinless, boneless chicken breasts – cut up in bite size pieces
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
¾ cup of frozen corn niblets
parsley for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat; add onion, red pepper, potatoes and bacon; cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes begin to soften (about 5 min.); stir in chicken broth, evaporated skim milk and creamed corn; bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in chicken; add salt and pepper; cook until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes); stir in frozen corn niblets and continue to cook until corn is heated through (just 2 to 3 minutes more).
3.Sprinkle with parsley; serve; enjoy ☺

Ps if you make this invite me over-I'm very good at being an official taste tester :)

Fist pumping like champs

No one could predict that this would happen. Many people in the US protested it being aired, and continue to protest due to its inaccurate and distorted view of Italian Americans.

I'm talking about the fist pumping, hair gellin, juiced, tan, hair extensions, t-shirt selling cast of the MTV's Jersey Shore.

If you have not watched this show, you should. It can be found on MTV (the Canadian version) where you can watch it (for free). The reality show is similar to the Hills, Peak Season etc., but the characters are much more interesting (the first episode Angelina shows up with garbage bags as luggage.... lol.)

Anyways the show follows some young, Italian American, self-proclaimed Guidos and Guidettes, who are living in a Jersey Shore beach house for a summer. They work in a t-shirt making shop, and hit up the boardwalk and the bars pretty much every night.

I cannot describe to you the dancing, the accents, the hook-ups, the drama- you need to see it for yourself. This show is a phenomenon and the characters are everywhere.

Ah yes, the characters. There is Angelina, self-proclaimed Kim Kardashian of Staten Island, Jenni "JWowW" Farley, Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (the tiny little firecracker), Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVechhio (who has the most ridiculous hair style ever), Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola (the sweetest bitch you will ever meet) and finally mama's boy Vinny Guadagnino.

I find this show fascinating- I find myself constantly saying "Are these people real? Like actual, real people!?". Most of my friends are hooked on it-constant facebook updates and inside jokes referring to shore.

If you need some seriously brainless tv to watch, plus something to make you laugh and make you shake your head, then Jersey Shore is highly recommended.

I would say more but don't want to give it away! And for those of you who have already seen it and love it: go ahead, watch it again- you know you want to !

Wordle

So again, props to my mom for discovering this site called Wordle.

What is Wordle? Well: Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

It's free, it's easy, and it's really fun! It can make a nice gift for someone, you can play with the colours etc. and frame it. Or just a nice cheer-up thing for someone- Check out the gallery to see what other people have created!

Just a note: the more times you put in a word, the larger it gets! So if you want to emphasize certain words but not others, then enter it a few more times :)

Happy wordling :)

Makin' art

Bored? Don't think you're artistic but want to do something fun?

I was sent this website with a really cool wall mural (see photo above) Looks hard right? Wrong! it's so easy! (Also I realize it has a baby crib in it, but it's still a cool design that everyone can enjoy!)

This website offers a simple way to break down large pictures into smaller squares so that you can easily measure off a grid and draw each square. It is not very overwhelming if you work with one square at a time, user-friendly and good for people who can't draw well!

I love the photo that they used (they purchased the photo from a stock photo website). You can also google pictures you would like- surprisingly,Microsoft Office Clip Art has a lot of really cute art design ideas. Personally I like a lot of icon-style pictures. This style also makes it easier for using a few basic colours to create a beautiful mural or piece of art.

Live in an apartment and don't want to mess up your wall? Well you can actually print a photo you like onto regular computer paper. Then, tape it to a window and on the back trace the outline of the whole photo with a nice lead pencil. Next, flip it over (lead-traced side down) and tape it to a plain canvas, which you can purchase for next to nothing at DeSerres, Wal-Mart or Michael's. Next you trace the outline of your photo, and by pressing down you transfer a light pencil outline of your design onto the canvas. Next you can paint it with regular tole paints (so cheap!) and voila- your own art! Art stores do have acrylic paints, but tole paints are good for beginners, really cheap and fun to use. It's a great way to do something inexpensive hat expresses your personal taste-and a great afternoon project.

For those who are still scared or don't have time, you can purchase wall stickers which have become really popular. They remove easily from walls and don't damage existing paint-while still looking like a painting. They have them at DeSerres but I find them kind of pricey (gorgeous, but pricey). I've had some luck finding some at the Dollar store, Michael's and JYSK. They can also be found online if you google it. Another great way to add in your own artistic taste, with minimal effort and all the satisfaction.