FUN ARTWORK IDEA

Brilliant idea! To make something like this, all you need to do is to mix some food colouring to your bubble mixture and let your child blow them onto paper where they pop. This is fun and functional as you can actually use your/your child's own uniquely designed paper using this method for your gift wrapping or as a wall art!

VINEGAR AS A SINK AND BATH TUB CLEANER

Mix half a cup of sodium bicarbonate with a glass of vinegar. Use it to clean your sink and bath tub. After that, pour some hot water on it and wait a few minutes before pouring some cold water on it.

HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPES

Homemade Lemonade


Ingredients:


4 lemons
2 cups of caster sugar
6 cups of water


Method: 


Mix your water and sugar as well as 1 sliced lemon in a saucepan before turning on the stove. Then, turn on your stove and bring it to boil on high heat. Once boiled, simmer for a few minutes and then leave it to cool down. When luke warm, put it through a sifter. After that, add the juice of the remaining lemons (3 lemons) to the mixture and chill in refrigerator before serving. 




Easy Lemonade


Ingredients: 


4 lemons
4 cups of water
1/2 cups of caster sugar (some people may prefer this amount to be 2/3 cups)


Squeeze lemons. Mix the lemon juice, water and the sugar well and refrigerate before serving.




Lemonade with Soda Water

Ingredients:

4-6 lemons (you need a cupful of lemon juice)

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 cup water

3 cups soda water

Method: 

Boil the lemon juice and sugar together for a few minutes making sure that the sugar is dissolved well. Leave the mix to cool. To serve, combine the mix with the soda water and add some ice cubes. 

Note: You can add some zest to these recipes if preferred. 

VEGETARIAN KOFTAS/POTATO PATTIES

These are the photos of some vegetarian koftas that were made for us on a visit to a beautiful family less than a month ago. I enjoyed them so much just like everyone else around the breakfast table that I had to take some photos and share the recipe with you all.

Note that the recipe normally includes some chopped parsley as well but on the day, the host family did not have any in hand, so these potato patties were made without parsley (they were still very delicious!).

Ingredients:

Boiled and mashed potatoes (about 4 medium sized)
Some stale/not fresh bread (inside) or some bread crumbs (about a handful)
1 egg
200g grated tasty or mozzarella cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Cummin powder (optional)
Black pepper
Some oil (preferably olive oil) for shallow frying

Method:

Make a dough using all of the ingredients required except for bread/ bread crumbs. Add the bread/crumbs at the end and make sure it has a nice consistency; not too runny or doughy. Make patties and cook them in high heat. Be sure that the oil is already hot before you start cooking the patties.

Enjoy!

VINEGAR AS A WINDOW CLEANER

Add 2cups of vinegar into 1lt of warm water and use this mixture in window/glass cleaning.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Below is a  video-recorded tutorial on how to make ricotta cheese using some fresh milk. It is quite easy to make your own and it does not consume much time. This is a must-try!

LEMON AS A CLEANER

Here are some tested and recommended ideas for you to use lemon as a natural cleaning agent:

• Put 2-3 lemon halves (could be used lemons) into your kettle. Put water in it. Boil the water in the kettle a few times  at night and pour the water out in the morning.
• Clean your stainless steel pots with lemon halves. Just rub the pot with some used or unused lemon and then wipe it with a damp cloth. 
• Vinegar and baking soda/bicarbonate soda mixture makes a great polisher for your stainless steel products such as kettles, teapots, stainless steel pots. You can replace vinegar with lemon if you like. 

RECYCLED FRAME

Another great little recycling project for you and this is the source of it. Enjoy!

PAPER CLIPS TO ORGANISE CABLES

A very easy and totally affordable way of organising cables! A brilliant idea!

RECIPE FOR CONSTIPATION

This recipe best works for infants and babies. If your little angel is suffering from hard stool, don't just sit down and cry with her or give her medicated laxatives. This recipe is a natural remedy for constipation in babies.

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
30ml warm water

Method:
Mix the brown sugar and water well and give it to your baby.

Use this mixture only in 24 hours and only 3-4 times.

There are also some other things you can do to help your child regardless of the age of her overcome constipation:

• Massage the belly (you can use olive oil to massage with)
• Prunes are great laxatives. Depending on your child's age and readiness, you can give her the fruit itself or the juice of it.
• High in fiber foods 
• Plenty of liquid (especially water)
• Excercise (especially the types that involve abdominal muscles). 

Note: The recommendations here are not to replace any doctor's advice. Seek professional help when the symptoms resist. 

RECYCLED CRATES

What a brilliant and stylish way of utilising unwanted crates! It doesn't even seem to be a very challenging project, does it?

HOMEMADE HAIR CARE PRODUCTS

The best way to look after our hair is achieved by using natural and organic products. Here are a few of the many natural, affordable and easy homemade hair care options for you.

Almond Oil
Pour some almond oil into your hand and massage your hair with it. Cover it up for half an hour or so before washing it.

Mix 1 table spoon of honey with 1/4 cup of honey and half a cup of natural yoghurt. Use this mixture to massage your hair with. Leave it on for approximately 20minutes and then wash it off.

Honey
A mixture of equal amounts of honey and olive oil makes a great healthy conditioner for hair. After applying it to hair with some gentle massage, cover it up with a towel or a shower cap and wash off after half an hour later.

Egg
Add about two spoonfuls of water into two eggs and mix it well before applying to the hair. Wait for 15 minutes and then wash it off.

Olive Oil
Makes a great hair moisturiser and hair mask. For soft and shiny hair, by massaging, apply a teaspoonful of olive oil to slightly wet hair. Apply it particularly to the ends of your hair by rubbing and cover it up for 30-45 minutes and then rinse.

Avocado
Make a mixture of mashed avocado and honey and rub in on your hair for another wonderful homemade hair mask.

A STYLISH IDEA FOR PARTIES

I found this picture on the internet and wanted to share it with you as well. As is, it is great and very stylish but you can alter it a bit if you wanted to. This is a great serving (and presentation) idea for parties. You can put many types of snack foods in them but personally, I would definitely go for some blueberries in them (you can make the cones smaller if needed)! They are not messy, the average size of blueberries is almost perfect and are a great treat for everyone!

Note: Check this out for a paper cone tutorial.

A RECYCLED BATHTUB

There are so many people with so many great ideas and skills out there, don't you think?

EASY POM POM TUTORIALS

There are different types of pom poms that are often used for decorative purposes and here, I will be sharing with you two videos using different methods and materials.

Enjoy a day that is worth celebrating!

CUSHION COVER DESIGNS AND A TUTORIAL

I don't actually use any pillows in my living room even though I have been itching to make a few for a while now.  Having cooler days too contributes to my desire for them but I am sure it is not the only reason. I just love so many designs and making things that mean something to me and my family. Even before I start making things at home, I often imagine how they would fit in our lives. I can already see those little pillows making some rough railways for Mr. Junior's currently much loved trains and it is before my eyes that Miss Junior crawls all over them on the floor. I can also hear them arguing about whose turn it is to play with a certain pillow. I am sure they will stay on the floor so much more often than on the couches but I think they are something that they will enjoy (even if not so much for their primary use).

Here, I am sharing with you some design ideas that I have come across with as well as a video recorded TUTORIAL on how to make a simple envelope pillow cover. It is so well explained and demonstrated that even if you are a total beginner in this field, you are still unlikely to have a major issue making it.

Enjoy something that has a personal touch today!

A CRAFTY ORGANISER

Source: Unknown

Here is another idea fantastic idea by someone smart and crafty for you to use at home. It is made out of recycled materials. In the example above, the pockets are made from the pockets of used jeans however, you could easily change it to other pockets too such as shirt pockets, pockets from trousers and so on as long as the fabric is strong enough.

The idea is simple: take the pockets of your unwanted/worn out clothes, machine or hand stitch them on a pice of felt or a thick fabric. The design options for this particular project are endless. You can make them all out of same colour pockets in different sizes just like the example above, you can use a variety of colours and pocket materials, you can put letters on each to form a word that means something to you, you can put some embellishment on them, you can use some patchwork design for the base and so forth.

Have something nice and functional today!

CORN

Corn from our garden

Corn in different forms has always been a part of my diet since childhood. Most people would love corn chips and popcorn but as for me, I love corn on the comb the most but I also enjoy it in other varieties too. I find it delicious when it is boiled, popped, barbecued and so forth. However, the reason why I would like my children to include corn in their diet is not limited to its tasty flavour. It is also because of all the goodness that it provides.

Corn is a great source of many nutrients.

• High in fiber.
• Good source of vitamins such as folic acid, niacin and Vitamin C. 
• Corn has Vitamin B (Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Riboflavin, Folate). It has traces of Vitamin A and Vitamin E.
• Corn is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and selenium. It also has small amounts of potassium.

Health Benefits of Corn:

Corn;

• is good for skin care
• boosts nervous system
• is good for digestion
• helps in maintenance of low cholesterol levels.
• has health-supportive antioxidant benefits from all varieties of corn, including white, yellow, blue, purple and red corn.
• provides necessary calories for daily metabolism of the body.

Although corn is now available in markets year-round, it is the locally grown varieties that you can purchase during the summer months that not only tastes the best but are usually the least expensive.


A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Healthy sauté cooked corn with green chilies and onions. Served hot, this makes a wonderful side dish.
• Use polenta (a type of cornmeal) as a pizza crust for a healthy pizza.
• Add corn kernels and diced tomatoes to guacamole to give it extra zing.
• Adding corn to soup enhances the soup's hardiness and its nutritional profile.

Have something healthy today!

HOMEMADE BODY BUTTER

Now that we are in Spring  here in Australia, it is time to get ready for cooler days -despite the hot days that come and go here in Melbourne. Warmer colours to be taken out around the house, more natural plant leaves to be stored in jars for homemade teas, thicker pyjamas to be stocked for cooler nights in kids' drawers, more soup recipes to be chased, moisturising creams to be prepared and so on.

Here is a homemade body butter recipe for you that will be much appreciated during cold and dry times.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup organic shea butter 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond oil
• Some essential oils of your choice (be careful with essential oils as not all are good for the skin. For example, citrus oil may sensitise your skin)

Method: 

On top of a boiler, melt the shea butter and the coconut oil before leaving the mixture to cool for half an hour. Mix in essential oils. You may leave this mixture outside and wait until the oils become half solid. After that, whip it all a few minutes so that it forms a butter-like consistency. Put it in a clean glass jar and it is ready!

Enjoy a nice and smooth day!

A SPECIAL DAY GIFT IDEA

This is another cost free and fun activity that you can enjoy with your children/students and the end product would make a great little gift especially on a special occasion such as on mother's day, father's day, or even a birthday or valentine's day. The idea was originally presented here.

All you need for this activity is some coloured paper, a pair of scissors, glue and a pen.

Draw around your little one's both hands and then cut them. For the example you see in the picture above, write "I LOVE YOU..." on the outer side of one of the hands and then write "THIS MUCH!" on another piece of paper and cut it out a strip of paper, in a long rectangle shape. With the rectangle, make an accordion shape by folding it accordingly. Glue the ends of your accordion strip on the insides of the hands to finish it off.

This is sure to melt the heart of a loved one, especially a mother when gifted by a son or a daughter. It is as easy as peeling an apple!

You can use your own variety for this activity simply by changing colours, message etc easily. Don't forget to kindly share your version with us here or on my facebook page (Why Bee: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003202930289).

Have fun with a loved one today!