DIY fire making DIY Emergency Documents Folder You can even go through the series a few times over a year or two adding just the most basic supplies the first 6 months and then a few more “extra” supplies each time you cycle through it again. No need to get overwhelmed. Just do what you can! Last Week: I hope all of you were able to get all prepped for your pets last week. Week #23: Important Documents It is unlikely that any documents you choose to include in your kit will keep you alive. (-: However, having them all organized and together can make your life so much easier now! Making insurance claims, searching for missing loved ones (heaven forbid), staying in touch with family and friends, traveling around the country and accessing your financial accounts will all be much easier if you have some essential documents at your fingertips. I’m simply going to walk you page by page through my “emergency documents binder.” Family Evacuation Plan: The front cover: Download it: Important Phone Numbers: The first page: Socials & Insurance IDs
50 Hour Soy Survival Candles Save money and be prepared by having these 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles on hand. I have seen stores charge a lot of money for survival long-burning candles, but you can make your own for less than $2.00 per jar and it is so easy to do! I swear I am reaping so many benefits from doing this Happy Homesteading series of posts, as I get to learn these new skills and find out to to survive on my own a little bit more. Plus doing these projects are so much FUN! All you need are some half pint glass canning jars, a 5 lb. bag of soy wax, some wicks, aluminum foil and a #10 can. WAX: I found that the most cost effective price for soy wax was on amazon : The Milliard Wax 5 lb. bag is $12.99 plus free shipping if you have amazon prime. WICKS: I ordered these Candlescience 6 inch Soy wax coated candle wicks for $8.99 (50 pack). GLASS JARS: The 5 lbs of soy wax will fill 13 half-pint sized glass canning jars. Start a double boiling system by bringing a larger pot of water to boil. WORTH THE COST?
The 16 Best Healthy, Edible Plants to Grow Indoors From farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture, to urban farms and rooftop gardens, to produce delivery services, more and more people across the U.S. are embracing farm-fresh food. And for good reason: Locally grown produce tends to be better for the environment and for local communities than its store-bought counterparts. Growing food at home also ensures that growers know exactly where their food comes from and how it was grown (no need to worry about deceptive food labeling). Luckily, you don’t need to be a farmer (or even live near a farm) in order to reap the benefits of home-grown produce. General Growing Tips Before you get started, here are a few tips that will be handy to keep in mind no matter which of the plants from this list you choose to grow. Fruits and Veggies Photo: Alpha 1. How to Grow: It’s possible to grow an avocado tree from an avocado pit, but doing so may not yield edible fruit. 2. 3. 4. How to Harvest: Most lemons will ripen in six to nine months. 5. 6.
The Smells of the Season Making my home smell wonderful is so important to me this time of year. The smells of the evergreen, cinnamon, orange and spice all mean the Holidays are here. A stove top potpourri mix is an easy inexpensive way to make your home smell wonderful. Packaging the mix in a Holiday bag makes a wonderful gift for friends, neighbors, teachers and co-workers. Here’s how I make my concoction: Holiday Stove Top Potpourri Mix one whole orange or just the orange peel1/2 cup cranberries1 Tbsp. whole cloves3 sticks of cinnamon or a small handful of small pieces of cinnamona bit of grated nutmeg if desired Quarter the orange. It’s just that easy. I love to use an orange that is starting to get old… or just use the peel of an orange. Another important tip is don’t allow the water to completely evaporate. It’s not the Holidays without the delicious scent… it makes me think of cranberry sauce or wassail. A stove top potpourri mix makes a perfect easy gift this season. P.
How to Make Olive Oil Candles It's a good idea to be able to know how to create your own light sources in case you ever need them. This is a simple candle that you can put together with things that you already have laying around the kitchen (besides the wick, but I'd recommend keeping that as a regular stockpiled item anyways!) There were many times when we have lost power at our house. One time in particular was in the middle of a very very cold blizzarding night. (I can't remember the exact temperature but I know it was negative something!) Olive Oil Candles What you need: Depending on how long you want your candle to burn you can pick different thicknesses of wick. I would go with at least a #2 wick if you choose the smaller, more candle like flame. Or if you are going for more light you may want to pick up a lantern width wick. Cut the wick a couple inches long. Bend the wire so it hooks onto the side of the jar. Here's a close up of the wick in the middle. Add your olive oil and that's it!
cool storage without electricity How to Put Together an Emergency Preparedness Kit Posted by Laura on October 5, 2011 · 211 Comments Welcome! Simplify your blog reading by signing up to read my blog via RSS (get updates in a feed reader) or via email (get updates delivered daily to your inbox). Hi, I am Amanda Kuzak from Kuzak’s Closet. I am a professional organizer and blogger based out of the San Francisco Bay Area and today I wanted to inspire all of you to get your emergency kits ready in honor of Emergency Preparedness Month. It doesn’t matter where you live, you are susceptible to an earthquake, hurricane, snow storm, power outage, flood, etc. and any of these things could leave you and your family stranded at home for a few days without power or electricity. Before I talk about the emergency kit you need to have in your home, I want to talk about the emergency kit you should have in your car. Next let’s talk about emergency kits for your pet. Living in California I thought more people would have an emergency kit in their homes but I rarely see one.
DIY: Sweet Valentine’s Day candles There’s just something about February that makes me want to paint my world pink! All those pink confections you see in the check-out line, and advertisements everywhere for a dozen red roses. I have always loved candles, but since I started using essential oils in the home, we now diffuse oils for managing our moods, or to neutralize odors. So in order for me to bring candles back into the home, I wanted to try and make my own and incorporate the essential oils that I love to smell. These candles were very simple to make, most supplies can be found at your local craft store, and I definitely see myself making more in the future. Supplies: NOTE: 3 small candles can be made from 1 lb of wax Prepare your jars and wicks Wash your jars with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughlyI recommend trimming some of the excess wick down if you’re using a shorter glass jarPlace a glue dot on the bottom of the metal clip of the wick. Directions: (Please use caution when melting wax at high temperatures)
Awesome Things To Make From Wire Calling all creatives out there, today’s 50+ roundup is going to feed your inspiration banks. We gathered over 50 super awesome things to make from wire. You can get craft wire for pretty cheap, and as you will see, you can even use wire hangers! From Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day projects, to jewelry to home decor and gifts, you can find a wire project for about any occasion.
Fabulous Floorcloths Part 3 and a Style file Segment! Happy Monday all! Things have been silent here at Design Share for a little bit. One of the things I read about starting a new blog is to be consistent with your posting, and I have tried to post at least once a week, but sometimes life just gets in the way, ya know?! I have had some major upheavals and life changing events these past few weeks and boy let me tell you, the wind just doesn't seem to fill my sails most days. But, I'm trying to be positive and like the saying I posted about here, "Keep Calm and Carry On." On that note, I'd like to finish out the series I have been posting about floorcloths. Some clear, satin finish WATER BASED polyurethane.... And the aforementioned, fabulous, Suzani Print tablecloth..... ......combined, would make a great floorcloth! Straight out of the package (I didn't wash it first since I was going to be coating with poly anyway, I wasn't worried about shrinkage) I laid the cloth out on my garage floor. **UPDATE** Hi everybody!
How To Make Candles - Natural Beeswax Candles Nothing provides a cozy warmth in your home like the soft glow of a candle. So, what if you could enjoy the charm of candlelight, and also be confident that your indoor air quality is actually improving? It can happen – but not with your standard candle. Store-bought paraffin candles are made from petroleum-based wax, and studies suggest that they actually release toxins into the air that you breathe. Candlelight dinner with a side of toxic chemicals? Health Benefits of Beeswax Candles One fabulous alternative to paraffin candles is a natural beeswax candle. Beeswax is a fuel which produces negative ions when burned. Even soy candles can’t compare to beeswax, since most soy in the US is genetically modified, and highly contaminated with pesticides. So to be sure you’re getting a quality, healthy candle, making your own beeswax candle is a great option. A Few Tips Before Beginning I first tried making my own beeswax candles over a year ago. Wick Type and Size Blend your Beeswax with Palm Oil
Wikihouse Download and Print Your Own House Imagine downloading your house online, and “printing” it out on a machine. You don’t have to imagine it. It is a reality. Wikihouse makes it possible to download the blueprint designs for the house, which can then be fed into a CNC machine and the parts (and tools) needed to assemble the shelter simply cut out from sheets of plywood. The practical applications are far reaching. SCALABLE: This is scalable and modifiable. Wikihouse is designed using Sketchup. This is a truly revolutionary idea, and the concept is proven. “The purpose of the WikiHouse construction set is that the end structure is ready to be made weathertight using cladding, insulation, damp-proof membranes and windows. Source Links: Please visit us @ The Syndicate- Beyond the Bottom Line - The Commons - Mind Culture - Comments comments
Wall Art for Sienna's Room First off, let me just say, I really love photos printed onto a canvas. Really. I knew I wanted a set of them in Sienna's room, but as most of you know, we are still students so our decorating budget didn't exactly cover printing four 8"x10" photos onto a canvas. It's pretty darn expensive for just one let alone FOUR!!! I had seen a few ideas online about getting pictures printed out, then just mod-podging the picture onto the canvas, and sanding the sides a bit, which I liked, but I still really wanted that "printed on canvas" texture on the picture itself. Thus, my idea was born. What you need: Canvas (however many you are using, I used 8x10's) White tissue paper (I only needed one regular sized sheet for four pictures) Printer *with ink* :) Regular printer paper Scissors Tape Mod-Podge Brush Step1: Take a piece of printer paper. Step 2: Trim up the side of the tissue paper so it's the same width as the width of the printer paper. Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Step 6: Step 7: Step 8: Step 9: