4th of July Treats!

My mom and I have agreed, we could give or take the fireworks on the 4th of July. For us, it's all about the food! For me at least, it's almost 95% about making sure the food is patriotic and well-prepared, and less about actually eating the food.

Since I really shouldn't eat five different desserts in a day, let's take a vote! Tell me in the comments below which dessert idea you think is the best.

Option 1: Rice Krispy Treat Cake Balls

I saw this photo on Pinterest for American Flag Cake Pops. Since I seem to be unable to make cake pops that actually stay on the stick, or are even round for that matter, I thought I would make Rice Krispy treats, and dip those in melted white chocolate. Rice Krispy treats are slightly more mold-able than cake pops are, and the idea of them dipped in white chocolate...yum.

Option 2: Red, White, and Blue Layered Cupcake

Now this looks like it could be a lot of work, but I absolutely love cupcakes. You give me a reason to celebrate, and I'll be sure to have a themed cupcake for you. Take a look a these patriotic cupcakes:

Option 3: Fruit Parfait

This would be a slightly healthier option (okay, completely healthier option) but still just as fun. And really easy! Check out this strawberry and blueberry parfait here, or look below. 

Option 4: Fire Cracker Cakelettes

Now these look like a bundle of fun to make, and they're probably even more fun to eat! However, they also look like they could be a total flop if I did anything the wrong way...but they just look like so much fun! 

Option 5: American Flag Cake

As much as I love cupcakes, I love baking cakes just as much. In fact, sometimes I love them more, just because you don't have to frost 24 individual cakes. I've been eyeing a cake like this for a long time and I think it looks pretty easy to make! There is nothing I love more than a tall, layered cake. I think I would use white chocolate chip morsels or white sprinkles to make that starry look!

Well, let me know what you think! Maybe I'll do a review on how my dessert-making goes. Let me know if you would like to see if these are able to be done by "normal" person (AKA, not done by a DIY Super Hero)! 

Until next time,
Lindsay

How to Handle Stress Without Breaking the Bank, or that Antique Vase Sitting Next to You

Everyone gets stressed every now and again. Like the old saying from George Orwell's Animal Farm, "All animals are created equal but some are more equal than others," so does stress affect people. We all get stressed, but some get more stressed than others. Some stress over things that others would never imagine stressing about. Are you getting stressed just thinking about being stressed?

Throughout my many nineteen years on this earth, I've learned various tips and tricks that really help me reduce my stress, and hopefully they can help you too.

The most important things is to find something that works for you, and make sure that something is healthy. Healthy for your body, healthy for your bank account (remember, we want our wallets fat and our bodies thin), and healthy for your family.

The number one thing that works for me is making lists. I make lists of lists that I want to make. I literally have a notebook devoted to my lists. I make to do lists, grocery lists (I don't even go grocery shopping), lists of clothes I want to buy, lists of things I need to buy, lists of places I want to go, where I want to travel, how I should budget my money, what I should eat each day. Basically, if a list can be made for something, I've made it. 

I have found that making lists helps me to feel like I have some sort of control over my life. It makes me feel like even when I'm stressed out during finals week and I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, (which by the way, does anyone know if they actually do that?!) I can control some portion of my life. The other big factor in this, having control over your life, is learning not to worry about things you have no control over. 

I'm color coding these so they're easier to read, instead of numbering them. 

Not everyone is a list person. My brother certainly isn't. Anyone who doesn't like writing probably isn't. A great option is working out. I would typically plug in my headphones and hit the elliptical, but doing some physically demanding workout like kickboxing would really help pound the stress out. 

In fact, exercise has scientifically been proven to improve your mood, and effectively cut out stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which help regulate mood and emotions. Essentially, you get the "runner's high." I have literally come home from a workout at 9 PM and been so hyper--not because of any caffeine or sugar, but because of the endorphins released during my workout. And with a name like endorphins, why would you like them? It sounds like en-dolphins to me, and I love dolphins. 

Pray. This really should have been first on my list. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always think to pray right away when I feel stressed. If the simple act of telling God of your worries doesn't alleviate the stress, I have found it helpful to write them down, as if I am physically handing my worries over to God. Put them in a "God" box if you have to. Once they're in there they aren't yours to handle anymore--they belong to God. 

Cry, sing, read the humor section on Pinterest. Drink a cup of tea. Have a dance party with yourself in your bedroom. Write a poem, or a novel. Talk to your mom, your sister, your best friend. Write in a journal. Pet a furry friend. Practice a new yoga pose. Do anything and everything to remind yourself that though now the stress may seem like a giant, trying to beat you down, you will overcome it, and you will make it through. And you will always be a stronger person because of it. 

And to end on a slightly less intense note, be sure to hug at least 8 people each day. Or hug the same person 8 times, for at least 4 seconds. The simple act of hugging someone releases dopamine, which will increase your overall happiness in life! My suggestion? Find one of those Free Hugs t-shirts and wear it on your lunch break!

DIY Beach Bag Tote...out of Duct Tape!

It’s official. Summer is here! And what better way to brighten your *hopefully* already gorgeous day than a bright, DIY beach bag?

 This beach bag has ample space for a towel, some snacks, a magazine or two, and your sunnies! Don’t forget those trusty Reef flip flops to save your feet from the hot sand.

This bag was so simple, it took me maybe a half hour to make! The best part? It’s totally sand proof. Just wipe it down (inside AND out) with a wet wipe before putting it back in your car.

Now, duct tape comes in totally cute designs, so pick one you love! I chose Chevron, just because I absolutely love the bright colors, but they have designs with penguins, mustaches, tie dye...you name it, they probably have it.  

To start, lay down a piece of tissue paper, or even wrapping paper will work. I prefer to use tissue paper to make mine just because it’s lighter and can move more easily. It makes for easy folding later in the project! Then, get to work laying down strips of duct tape!

Don’t worry if your designs don’t line up exactly, especially if you’re using the chevron print. My mom said from far away you can’t even tell!

Once you have one side of duct tape totally down, flip it over and start laying down strips on the other side. I chose to use an “accent” color (not sure if white fulfills the category of accent colors...) and I highly recommend it!

Now that you have all of your strips of duct tape laid down (totally cover the tissue paper, but don’t worry if you don’t make it all the way to all the edges), fold your sheet in half, with the right sides together. Now comes the tough part! I would advise drawing a line, but I didn’t and it seemed to work okay. Staple fairly close to the edge, in as straight a line as possible, but far enough in so that you don’t have any tissue paper showing on the inside of the staples. Repeat this on the other side. Try to make sure the tops are lined up and agree with one another! Then when you're down stapling down both sides (be sure to leave the top open) trim the edges--but not too close to the staples!

Now, you’re going to press down and make little triangles in the corners. Trust me, it’s a lot easier than I just made it sound. Then staple in a line across. Hopefully these pictures help clarify what I failed to explain!

Now, the choice is yours but I totally 100% recommend cover your staples with a strip of duct tape. That way you don’t have to worry about them coming out, or stabbing you. Not fun.

And, I lied. This is the hard part. Turn your bag inside out. I almost gave up at this point. Well, not really. I was pretty determined to get this bag done!

Now to make the strap. Or make two, if you want. But basically you take a long strip of duct tape (I chose white at first) and fold it in thirds. Then I decided I wanted a printed strap, so I wrapped my printed duct tape around it.

Then, staple the ends of your strap onto your bag however you’d like it. I chose to put mine on at each end, but you could do side to side, or if you want to straps then staple them on each side. Make sure you don’t staple too far down, otherwise it will be hard to cover.

Now that you have your straps on, congratulations! You’re almost done. The next thing you’ll want to do is run a piece of your accent tape around the top edge of the bag. This can be little tricky, but just try to keep it as close to the top of the bag as possible. It’s okay if you have to fold it over a little bit.

Now that you’ve conquered that, just tape over where your straps are on the inside, and tape down those pesky triangles at the bottom of your bag. And voila! There you have it, a water-proof(ish), sand-proof beach bag!

Now head on out to your favorite beach (or the pool, or the beach chair on your back deck) and soak up some sun! But not too much, and make sure to use sunscreen. :)