Tension Rod Ribbon Storage

I love ribbon. Grosgrain, satin, wire, patterned - you name it, I probably have some of it. It adds a cute touch to a package or even a little note with a bow at the top. My problem has always been how to store it. I have tried lots of ways to store them and nothing seems to be the perfect solution. Until now . . . enter the tension rod!

Here is what I started with. Lots of ribbon on small spools.

What you need:

• 1 tension rod - I found mine at big chain home improvement store in the curtain section. Mine was very small in diameter adjustable for length.
• small drill - in case some of your spools don't have a pre-cut hole in the center
• small push pins - to pin your ribbon so you don't have hanging pieces

I have a small space below the lowest shelf in my den and the rod fit perfectly underneath.

I organized mine by color. I love the way it looks, it is neat and tidy and very functional!

Happy Organizing!

Mood Board Love

So . . . I have a new favorite app. It is called Moodboard and it is amazing. You can create vision boards for any project, event, remodel - anything you are doing. It is easy to use. You can upload pictures from your iPad or get images directly from the Internet. There are lots of finishing touches that can make your board look extra special. Borders, arrows, color swatches and more.

It is a little more expensive than most apps at $9.99 but if you do lots of projects or planning of events, it is well worth it. There is a Moodboard Lite app for free. I would recommend trying out the free version first to make sure you like it. I am sure you will!

See below for a few of the Mood boards I have created so far.

This board is for my friend Alissa's condo organization project. One great thing about the app - when you cut pictures from online, the app saves the source so you can get right back to the link.

This board is for my friend Cate. She is working on the details of her escort cards and display presentation for her wedding.

The final board is what I sent our nanny to let her know what I was planning for our 4th of July theme. Different food ideas for the little people and crafts for them to do. We do different themes every couple of weeks and this is such a simple (and fun) way for me to share the ideas with her.

Happy Creating!

Quick Tips - The Perfect Smoothie

Our kids are on a huge smoothie kick. And I love it. They get a ton of fruits and Greek yogurt. I am going to start adding kale and spinach too. Great start to the day! With as many smoothies as we have been making I was started to get frustrated with the frozen berries and fruit were not being blended. I talked with our nanny Bobbie and she told me how to fix it . . .

Put the liquids in the blender first! This seems so obvious but I always did it the opposite way. Now I add the juice and then the yogurt.

Then I add the frozen fruit and bananas or other fresh fruit.

Blend away! Tada! Smooth, delicious drink.

Happy Blending!

Quick Tips - Easy Pizza Cutting for Kids

Pizza! Yum! We have started a tradition of having pizza and Cesar salad at home on Friday evenings. The kids love it and so do we. Anyone with kids knows it is a pain to saw away at the pizza trying to get it in small enough pieces for the little mouths we feed. My friend Vanessa shared this tip with me and it changed my life (well, it changed my pizza cutting life! :)).

 Secret tool . . . KITCHEN SHEARS!

Step 1 - Cut off the tip of the pizza.

Step 2 - Turn the slice and make three or four small cuts about 3/4 inch long.

 Step 3 - Rotate the slice again and cut at the base of the three small cuts you just made. The bite sized pieces will fall on the plate.

Step 4 - Repeat until you have cut the entire piece. 30 seconds tops. Faster and easier than even a pizza cutter!

Happy (cutting) Eating!!

Quick Tips - iPhone Speaker Fix

IPOD SPEAKER

This is such an easy, cool trick. Put your ipod or iphone in a bowl and it magnifies the sound. Perfect for when you are without speakers. The bowl makes it sound like you are using speakers! Love it!

Happy Grooving!

Bridal Emergency Kit

I love being the person responsible for the Bridal Day Emergency Kit. I have so much fun finding all of the items and putting it together. I just made a new kit for my friend's wedding in Cabo. I thought I would share with you what I included in my kit. And this kit could be used for other big events as well - proms, galas, parties, black tie events, etc. It is just extra fun when it is called a BRIDAL day ER kit!

Items included:

Scope mouthwash

toothbrush

toothpaste

dental floss

Cotton pads, Cotton balls and Cotton QTips

makeup application pads

makeup remover and make up remover pads

hairspray

Vaseline

deodorant

baby oil

hand sanitizer

hand cream and foot cream

nail polish remover

clear nail polish

emery boards

scotch tape and double sided tape

scissors

sewing kit

Shout It Out stain remover pen

lotion

Aleve, Tylenol, Aspirin

tissues

tampons

first aid kid

safety pins

hand soap

wet ones wipes

lint roller

eye drops

contact cleaner

We used so many of the items at the wedding last weekend. The sewing kit repaired a bridesmaid dress, the scissors cut a few loose strings on the wedding dress, visine was used to take the redness out of a bug bite, the wet ones were used to remove deodorant from a dress and the safety pins held up a hem. Always better to be over prepared! Leave a comment if there is anything I forgot and I will add it to my kit next time!



Quick Tips

TIP ONE - THE TULIP TIP -

I love this first tip. It works every time and is so simple.

This is how my tulips usually look when I get them home from the store/farmers market.

Drop a penny in the bottom of the vase.

6 hours later the flowers are starting to perk up.

12 hours later (and for the duration of their life) they stand up perky and tall!

TIP TWO - THE DAWN TRICK

I always put stain remover on any spots or stains on my kids clothes right when they get out of the clothes. I am actually a little obsessed with getting stains out. I use Spray N Wash or Dreft Stain remover on everything. There have been few times lately (mainly with a red sauce stain) where my go to stain removers don't quite get the job done. I tried a little bit of Dawn Dishsoap and Voila! The super tough stains have come right out! Easy, inexpensive and effective!