Holiday Decorating Tips

Holiday Decorating Tips
I am going to be honest with you. Decorating has never been my forte. I'm really good at other stuff, like reading and teaching 12 year olds how to add fractions with unlike denominators... but I have struggled with decorating.
Until this year.
NEWS FLASH. I'm really good at decorating now.
What? How? Well, I'm going to show you some of my festive tips to make your house the cutest lil decorated house on the street... and here's the cool part. ALL YOUR DECORATING WILL BE DONE WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. Say goodbye to your Hobby Lobby, TaiPan, Target days and hello to cheap, simple, and BEAUTIFUL decorating.
To make things more simple, I will split my decorating ideas into 4 categories. Fall, Winter, Spring, & Summer.

SUMMER:
See a previous post, a ThreeThister original:

http://threethistersthings.blogspot.com/2014/07/diy-patriotic-crafty-treat.html

Instead of using these as treats, simply leave them around the house. If you get them slightly wet, you may be able to stick them to walls to hang.

FALL:
*Go outside with a grocery bag and pick up like 28 leaves. Rustle the bag, shake it, stomp on it... and you will get what I like to call leaf fairy dust. Then, my favorite part. Go back inside, turn on some music and sprinkle your leaf fairy dust throughout the house. It will give your house a rustic fall like look and smell.

*Ghosts:

This just happened one day and then I decided to leave it up all Halloween season. All you need is some white towels and knobs of some sort. I staggered my towels a bit to add some variety to my ghosts. The fun part of this decoration is how interactive it is.. depending on everyone's shower schedules and my laundry, some days I had a family of like 5 ghosts... and other days there would be just 1 lonely ghost hanging in the hallway. It was just so fun to make up little stories of what the ghosts were doing when they were there/weren't there.








WINTER:
*Snowman

Love, love, love this idea. All you need is TP and a sock. Preferably a fuzzy colorful sock, but don't stress if you just have a boring hanes sock, that works too.



The tricky part with this particular decoration is getting 3 toilet paper rolls with differing diameters. You may have to call a family counsel a week prior to setting up this decoration to discuss varying their TP roll usage. (Sorry TMI, but I'd rather do this than spend $4 on some acrylic snowman at TaiPan).


Once you have 3 differing TP rolls (small, medium, large) Go ahead and stack them on top of each other. I guess you could just leave it like that, but if you want to go the extra mile (I'm like that... a lot of people call me "over achiever golden girl") you can draw a face on the top roll and put a sock in the top to make your snowman come to life.

SPRING:
To unlock this part of the post, make sure to share this link with all of your Facebook friends, become a Beach Body Coach, AND find/take some FB quiz that will determine some vital piece of knowledge to the success of your future. (i.e. which Disney princess are you....what's your IQ... how good be your grammar...etc) Once you have done these three things, stand up, clap thrice, and chant "Three Thisters" until a code pops up on your computer screen.

Type code here:      



Happy Decorating!!!                        

What to do when people keep quoting stuff and you haven't seen what they are talking about and maybe don't really care to, but you want to be in the conversation

We've all been there. You're with a group of friends. They all start talking about a movie and you know nothing about that movie. What do you do? You want to be a part of the conversation. You want to look cultured. You don't want to admit that you haven't watched this movie (ESPECIALLY if it is considered a "classic") You don't want to have someone look at you shocked and say, "You haven't seen <insert movie here>!?"

DO NOT FEAR! The Three Thisters have you covered! We have compiled a list of what we feel are "classics" that are brought up often in conversations. Haven't seen that movie? Don't worry!  We have included a 1-2 line synopsis and frequently quotes lines. Memorize a few of the lines from the list below and no one will ever know you haven't seen it.

MOVIES:

The Sandlot:
Three Thisters say: Absolute classic. Love.
Brief Synopsis: Dorky kid makes friends with a group of awesome kids obsessed with baseball. Dorky kid accidentally loses his step father's ball signed by Babe Ruth in the yard where an infamously scary dog lives.
Lines to Memorize:
"FOR-E-VER." (say it really slowly and use your lips A LOT. Say it 2-3x at least)
"You're killin' me Smalls!"
"You play baseball like a girl!"
"Close catapult."
"Just hold your glove in the air, I'll take care of it."
"Some lady gave it to him named Ruth. Baby Ruth."

Little Rascals
Three Thisters say: Classic. Love it.
Brief Synopsis: A group of boy have a club called the "He Man Woman Haters." This movie goes through the adventures of those boys and how they end up changing their club a bit.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Please don't say my name, please don't say my name."
"He's as smooth as a baby's bottom. And he smells better too!"
"I've got two pickles, I've got two pickles, I've got two pickles, hey, hey, hey!"
"We're going to the race, we're gonna win first place, and you have an ugly face! No, you have an ugly face! Your mama has an ugly face!"
"His voice. It makes me melt like a Popsicle on the fourth a July."
"Why are boys such jerks?"
"Dear Darla, I have your stinkin' guts. You make me vomit. You are scum between my toes. Love, Alfalfa."

Napoleon Dynamite:
Three Thisters say: Watch it twice. You might like it the second time.
Brief Synopsis: Napoleon helps his friend Pedro run for school office.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Go make yourself a dang quesadilla!" (Pronounce the l's in quesadilla)
"Your mom goes to college."
"We chat online for like 3 hours a day, so I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious."
"Are you drinking 1% because you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to."
"Nice sleeves."

Monty Python & the Holy Grail:
Three Thisters say: Honestly, if you haven't seen this one...consider yourself lucky. We'll never get those 2 hours back.
Brief Synopsis: I don't even know.
Lines to Memorize: 
"I fart in your general direction."
"Bring out your dead!"
"Just a flesh-wound."
"I'll nibble your legs off!"

Nacho Libre:
Three Thisters say: In the right mood, this movie rocks. The thisters loves Jack Black.
Brief Synopsis: In order to realize his dream and earn money for better food for the orphans at the orphanage he works at, Ignacio (Jack Black) works as a wrestler.
Quotes to Memorize:
"No, no, no, no, no, no way Jose!" (sung)
"I've had diarrhea since Easters."
"No, Chancho, I would never leave you. I just need some sweats."
"You are fast, like a giselle."
"You have not been baptized!?"
"Everything you just said is MY favorite thing to do. Every. Day."
"Do you remember the time that everyone was chanting my name? And I used my strength to rip my blouse?"
"My life is good. REAL good."

Muppet Christmas Carol:
Three Thisters say: DEFINITELY the best Christmas Carol. Muppets at their finest.
Brief Synopsis: Scrooge hates Christmas until he is visited by three ghosts: The ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
Quotes to Memorize:
"It DOES, doesn't it?" (Said in best Miss Piggy voice)
"You can fit through those bars?"
"Rizzo, Rizzo, grab on to the stick."
"It is the American way! What? Oh. It is the British way!"
"Even the vegetables don't like him."
"I believe Christmas has done me good and it will do me good and I say God bless it!"
"There two things I hate. Heights and jumping from them."

The Ten Commandments:
Three Thisters say: Doesn't follow the Bible very well, but a great, classic flick.
Brief Synopsis: The story of Moses from the Bible...kind of.
Quotes to Memorize:
"So let it be written, so let it be done."
"Let my people go!"

Rocky:
Three Thisters say: You've got to love these movies.
Brief Synopsis: Rocky is an underdog boxer.
Quotes to Memorize:
Eye of the Tiger (song)
"Adrienne!"

The Princess Bride:
Three Thisters say: If you haven't seen this movie. Go see it. Please.
Brief Synopsis: Buttercup is saved from a bad engagement by her true love, Wesley, who she thought was dead. Wesley is accompanied by Inigo Montoya and Fezzik who have their own adventures to go on.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die."
"I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!"
"Humperdink, Humperdink, Humperdink!"
"Stop rhyming and I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?"
"Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist <scream>."
"Inconceivable!"
"That word you keep using. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"You think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy?"

Star Wars:
Three Thisters say: This has recently become near and dear to our three hearts. We support the rebellion. (PS-there are no spoilers listed in this post...probably)
Brief Synopsis: Where do we begin? Basically, there's the good guys and the bad guys. They're all in space fighting. Jedi's = Good.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Do or do not, there is no try." (Said in best Yoda voice. Similar to Miss Piggy above.)
"Luke, I am your father."
"Someone move this walking carpet."
"I love you." "I know."
"UUUNNNNNHHHHH!" (Chewbaca)
"Nobody cares if you upset a droid."
"May the force be with you."
"The force is strong with this one."
"Much to learn, you still have." (Again, in Yoda voice)

Lord of the Rings:
Three Thisters say: I think I speak for all three thisters when I say, this is n't our favorite. We respect anyone who likes it, but it isn't our cup of tea.
Brief Synopsis: There's a ring that holds a TON of power, it changes people. Frodo and his buddy Sam (Hobbits) go on a quest to destroy said ring.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Not all who wander are lost."
"My precious." (in your creepiest voice)

Home Alone I & II:
Three Thisters say: Must see. Every Christmas.
Brief Synopsis: Kevin is accidentally left at home one year, the next he makes it to New York...alone. Each year, he has to protect his home/self from two robbers through crazy tricks.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Look what you did you little jerk."
"Harry! I made it to the top!"
"Wow! What a hole!"
"KEVIN!"
"Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?"
"What kind of idiots do you have working here!?" "The finest in New York ma'am!"
"Merry Christmas ya filthy animal."
"Get out of here you nosy little pervert or I'm gonna slap you silly!"

Karate Kid:
Three Thisters say: We love Daniel-san!
Brief Synopsis: When Daniel moves to a new city, he quickly meets the bullies of his school. To help him, he works with Mr. Miyagi who teaches him the art of Karate.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Wax on, wax off."
"Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything."
"Learn how punch after you learn how keep dry."

Harry Potter 1-7 Part II:
Three Thisters say: 2/3 sisters like Harry Potter. 1 of them LOVES it.
Brief Synopsis: Harry is a wizard destined to defeat the worst wizard who has ever lived.
Quotes to Memorize:
"Always."
"Yer a wizard, Harry."
"I solemly swear that I am up to no good."
"Mischief managed."
"I will have order!"
"I must not tell lies."
"Of course it's happening inside your head Harry."
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"Swish and Flick."
"George swears he got a bogie flavored one once!"

Thanks for reading. Hope this helps. We love our dedicated fan base and hope to return your emails as quickly as we can. They just come in so fast! Lots of love. Hope to see you at our book signing!

10 ways to know you're a Hockey Wife

Think you're a hockey wife? Go through the following checklist to know for sure. 

#1: If/When you go ice skating, your husband doesn't have to rent skates. He brings his own. 

#2: You have had hockey skates in your oven.

#3: You know why there were hockey skates in your oven. 

#4: You know what used hockey gear smells like. Unfortunately.  

#5: You know what the Stanley Cup is.

#6: You know the quote, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take," is usually used in the context of basketball, but was actually said by Wayne Gretzky.

#7: You know who Wayne Gretzky is. 

#8: Your basement is decorated with posters of  5+ different hockey teams.

#9: You know that a hockey "jersey" is not called a jersey. It's a sweater. 

#10: You quote "Miracle" weekly and have watched it at least a dozen times.

#10: Number of hockey games watched/attended before meeting your husband: 0

        Number of hockey games watched/attended after meeting your husband: 100+

#10: You have a stack of hockey tape in your garage. 

#10: Hockeymonkey.com is on your list of frequently visited sites.

#10: You own Mighty Ducks and D2. 

If you answered affirmatively to at least 8 of the above things, you know what it means. Accept it. 

DIY: Diaper Genie

We recently had 2 sweet new babies join our threethister clan... and with new babies comes a lot of expenses. 

Here at threethisters, we are bound and determined to figure out ways to save money in quality ways! I just had to share one of my latest genius ideas. Creating my own

DIAPER GENIE. 

After reading, go ahead and share share share!

Definition of diaper genie (as defined by Mr. Wikipedia):
"A creation of entrepreneur John Hall, is a baby diaper disposal system....The system....protect against germs and odors...by opening the lid...a soiled diaper may be inserted into..the container...after the container is filled with dirty diapers, it can be emptied...diapers fall out."

And now, meeting the defined expectations, 

The Threethister Diaper Genie:
A creation of entrepreneur threethisters [when in possession of many diaper boxes]...

...is a baby diaper disposal system...[use empty box and place in a convenient spot]

The system....protects against germs and odors...[simply shut the lids!]

<-------BEFORE












AFTER! ------>




...by opening the lid...a soiled diaper may be inserted into..the container...after the container is filled with dirty diapers, it can be emptied...diapers fall out.

[not pictured: me, emptying the collected diapers into the garbage can, straight from the box.]




If you're anything like me... you may want to jazz up your diaper genie to give it that special touch. 

I used a post it note and a sharpie. 


BEFORE....

AFTER!!!

Have fun creating your own diaper genie!

Three Thister Thournament

Post your DG creation in our comments section. The 234th picture posted will receive an empty diaper box to create a second DG for another room!

How to: Get Out of Going to See Jurassic World With Your Husband

Do you:

A. Love your husband?
B. Hate Scary Movies? (i.e., Jurassic World)

If you answered yes to the above questions, this guide is for you. (If you answered no to the first question, click here).

I love my husband. I love going to the movies with him. I don't like scary-dinosaur-theater-is-shaking-big-teeth-I-think-I'm-going-to-wet-my-pants-can-I-open-my-eyes-yet movies.

Ever since my husband saw the trailer for the new Jurassic Park movie, he has been excited. I have been terrified. Even the previews gave me the willies.

So, how do you get out of going to see the movie without hurting his feelings? Follow the steps below and you will should have success in avoiding the movie and also avoiding hurting feelings. (Note: while this method hasn't been tried on any other movies besides 'Jurassic World,' it can be assumed that the outcome would be the same.)

Step 1: Have a baby shortly before the movie comes to theaters.

Step 2: Have your little brother invite your husband to a late showing of 'Jurassic World.'

Step 3: Tell him that he can go (act disappointed that you won't be attending to avoid him thinking you don't want to go), you will stay with the baby.

Step 4: Enjoy not being scared to death of man-eating-monsters.

The ULTIMATE friend/girlfriend/wife's Guide to Everything Team Sports

Maybe a cute boy recently invited you to his home to watch "the big game" with him and his buddies. Or, maybe you are a girlfriend trying to impress her boyfriend with sports knowledge. Or, maybe you are simply a devoted wife hoping to spend more time with your hubby by trying to be interested in things he is interested in. No matter the circumstance, this guide is for YOU.

In this Ultimate Guide, we will be discussing 6 team sports. Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Soccer, and Water Polo.

Let's start with the basics:

Common terms that you will hear in most sports:
OFFENSE: the people trying to score.
DEFENSE: the people trying to stop the other team from scoring.
OFF SIDES: Someone on one of the teams did something wrong, resulting in a penalty.
PENALTY: A punishment for one of the teams.
FOUL: Somebody did an illegal something toward another player. (Similar to a penalty in some sports).
FLOP: When a player makes it look like another player fouled them, but they really didn't.

Now, let's break it down into the sports:

FOOTBALL:
Your guy is probably watching either the NFL (National Football League) or College Football. The NFL comes after College Football. Most players play College Football to try to get into the NFL. If you aren't sure which he is watching, look in the corner of the screen. Most likely there will be a symbol that says "NFL" if he is watching and NFL game. If it is a College game it will say something else such as "Pac 12" or "NCAA" or some other letters jumbled together. You can also look to see if you can tell the average age of the players. NFL players will typically be much older than College players.

VIP names to know/say to sound knowledgeable: Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Joe Namath, Steve Young.

Scoring:
Touchdown: This is what they're trying to do the whole game. Get a touchdown. It is worth 6 points. After a touchdown, you can do a kick for an extra point, or do this thing where they line up near the end zone line and try for two points. 99% of the time, though, they do the kick.
Field Goal: Sometimes they don't get close enough to the Touchdown, so they do a field goal instead. It is worth 3 points.
Touch Back: Honestly, I've had this one explained to me a few times, and I still get confused. It is worth 2 points, and has something to do with being in your own end zone or something.

Common Terms:
Interception: The defensive team steals the ball from the offensive team (resulting in a lot of screaming).
Holding: Some player held onto another player making it so he can't run very well.
False Start: Somebody started moving before they were supposed to.
First/Second/Third/Fourth Down: They have 4 tries to get a touchdown. If you get confused, just replace the word "down" with "try."

Neutral things you can say that make it seem like you know what you are talking about:
- "I've seen better defensive lines that that. Of course, I've seen worse."
- "If they just get that ball a few more yards, they just might get that touch down!"

Championship: NFL: Super Bowl. (The one with all the funny commercials and a concert in the middle).
College: There's a ton of them. They all end in "bowl." Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Tostito Bowl, etc.

Inspirational Movies with this sport:
Remember the Titans (my favorite movie!!)
Rudy
Blindside
Waterboy
Radio

Basketball:
Similar to Football, your man is probably watching the NBA (National Basketball Association) or College Basketball. Again, check the corner of the screen and the average age of the players.

VIP names to know/say: Michael Jordan, Shaq, John Stockton, Karl Malone, LeBron James, the Bird Man, Meta WorldPeace (yes, that is his real name), Charles Barkley (the guy in the funny cell phone commercials), Jimmer Ferdette, Larry Bird.

Scoring:
Making a basket is 2 points, unless you are behind the 3-point line. Then, it is worth 3-points. Also, if a player gets fouled, they get to shoot two baskets (sometimes, in rare cases, three), each one is worth one point.

Common Terms:
The Key: The colored box under the basket. The guys on defense aren't supposed to stand in it for more than like 5 seconds. But, usually the ref only calls that if he's bored.
Shot Clock: The clock that shows up in the corner of the screen. The guys can only have the ball for so long before shooting it. Also, it conveniently resets when the ball touches the rim.
Assist: When a player passes the ball to another player who then scores, the one who passed it to the scorer gets the "assist."
Technical Foul: When a player does something real bad. The other team gets to do a free throw without any of the other player standing around them. Oh, and they get the ball back after as well.

Neutral things you can say that make it seem like you know what you are talking about:
"You know, some people say Michael Jordan wouldn't be Michael Jordan without Scotty Pippen."
"They need to give it 110% and play as a team if they are going to win this thing."
"Kobe Bryant sure is a ball hog."

Championship:
NBA: NBA Championship. Best of 7.
College: NCAA Championship.

Inspriational Movies with this sport:
Hoosiers
IMAX: Michael Jordan
Heavyweights

HOCKEY:
Hockey is a high-impact, constantly moving sport. There are 5 players from each team on the ice at a time, plus each team's goalie. If your man is watching hockey, it is most likely the NHL (National Hockey League). When I first started watching hockey, I had a bit of a hard time with all the running-into-walls-running-into-other-people stuff. I realized it was because I was thinking of it like basketball. Once I started thinking about it as if it were more like football (high impact) it became much funner to watch! (PS-I still don't like the fighting aspect, but it is part of the culture of hockey...don't be surprised if you see players drop their gloves and start pummeling each other).

VIP names to know/say:
Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Sidney Crosby. (Good luck pronouncing all those names. Google them if you need help.)

Scoring:
Get the puck past the goalie and into the net. 1 point. (They can't kick the puck in, but it can bounce off their skate into the goal...ummm...okay. That is why slow motion cameras were invented.)

Common Terms:
Icing: Someone on the defense flings the puck past the middle line and the end line without anyone else touching it. The puck has to come back to their defensive zone. (Unless they have someone in the penalty box)
Penalty Box: Where someone goes when they did something illegal in hockey. Affectionately referred to as the "sin bin." You can get put in the "sin bin" for illegal checks (see below), fighting, tripping, hooking, high stick, too many guys on the ice, and using your stick or skate as a lethal weapon.
Power Play: When one team has a player in the penalty box, the team that has 5 players is on a "power play" (they have more players on the ice).
Checking: When one player makes intentional and forceful physical contact with another player. Legal forms of checking: hip check, stick check, open ice check, checking on the boards/walls, money check. Illegal forms of checking: back check, face check, cross check, hair check, toe check, armpit check, inner ear check.

Championship:
Stanley Cup Final. Best of 7.

Inspirational Movies about this sport:
Miracle
D2: Mighty Ducks

BASEBALL:
America's Pastime. Grab a hot dog. There are 9 innings in baseball. Teams take turns in the outfield and batting. When a team is in the outfield, their goal is to get the other team "out" three times. When a team is batting, they are trying to get as many people to home plate as they can and not get "out."

VIP names to know/say:
Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Jackie Robinson, Yoggie Berra

Scoring:
Each player that touches home base gets one point for their team.

Common Terms:
Home Run: When a player hits the ball so far, they can make it around all the bases and to home plate without getting out on a single hit.
Strike: When the batter misses hitting the ball. (If one batter gets 3 of these, he is out.)
Bases loaded: There is a player on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base.
Short Stop: Ummm...I think it is the position between 2nd and 3rd base?
Stealing: There are certain points that players can run between bases when the ball hasn't been hit yet.

Championship:
World Series. It's a big deal.

Inspirational Movies about this sport:
Sandlot
The Rookie
Angels in the Outfield
42

SOCCER: (I have to admit, this is the sport I know the least about.)
There are ten players on the field from each team, plus their goalie. They run around kicking the ball, trying to make it into the goal. They aren't allowed to use their hands.

VIP names to know/say:
David Beckham, Kyle Beckerman, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Championship:
The World Cup. It really is the WORLD. It is very intense.

Inspirational Movies about this sport:
Invictus (Oh wait...that's rugby)
Forever Strong (Oh wait...that's rugby)

WOW!! That is A LOT to remember!! If you are overwhelmed, just take it one step at a time. What is your man's favorite sport? Start there and work your way through all of them.

Also, BONUS! If you are feeling completely overwhelmed, we here at Three Thisters have made a simple printable for you to keep in your purse. (We are also working on a "circle version" which can be kept in your compact mirror for quick glances if you are put on the spot).
Please also note, there is a spot for notes. This is for you to place anything that you would like to put there to help you remember that sport.

DIY: Patriotic Crafty Treat

I don't know about you, but my family loves the 4th of July. This year I decided to come up with a way to show my patriocity through some cute treats.

 1. Buy these. I got mine at Smith's for $2.00

2. Take out one twizzler


















3. Peel off 3 pieces (preferably red, white, and blue)

4. Peel them apart from the bottom.
(Three thister note: If you do what I accidentally did and pull them all the way apart, don't worry, just lick the piece where you want it to stick and it kind of works.)










4. Braid them, like you would hair.

5. Until it looks like this.













6. Repeat steps 1-5.













7. Then put them together in the shape of a heart.
















8. Hopefully your loved ones will love it as much as mine did!

PS Happy 4th of July! ~ThreeThisters

HOW TO: Pit your Avocado

My husband and I enjoy a good guac mix every once in a while. We also frequently put avocados on our tacos, toastadas, etc. Getting the pit out of the avocado can be quite the chore! I used to use the method I call the, "try not to lose a finger" method. This method involves whacking the pit of the avocado with a knife, and pulling. Flaws to this method include: 1. If the knife isn't in the pit far enough, it comes out. 2. If the knife is too far into the pit, the pit may come out with some difficulty, resulting into some possible knife to the nose flinging action. Neither of these are good options. So, after some observations, I have finally found a sensible alternative.
Step one: (Similar to step one of the "try not to lose a finger" method):
Whack the pit with a knife.

Step 2: (This one is REALLY important, it sets the two methods apart):

TWIST the knife that is in the avocado.

Step three: 

PULL the avocado pit out of the avocado.

I have found this way is SIGNIFICANTLY easier than the other method.

Click the link below to visit our Youtube channel and see a video.

Three Thisters Guide to Toilets, Sinks, and Hand-drying Options in Public Restrooms

We were showing some friends from out of state around town a few weeks ago and visiting a public restroom here and there in the process. I became very aware of all the many methods there are for using the toilet, washing, and drying your hands. I wondered if any of our readers could be perplexed by all the options available from restroom to restroom and decided to present a guide here that I hope can be useful to you. Most people generally use the restroom in three stages, the toilet, then handwashing, then hand-drying. Each of these stages offer either a manual or motion-activated form of use, each of which I will cover here.

Toilets:

Some have a lever you push or pull when done. Some have a button. And some are motion activated and everything's taken care of almost before you can realize it's gone.

Sinks:

Some have a manual faucet. Others have a motion-activated sensor. And some dang things require you to push with one hand while you wash the other. Heh. Try doing that with a baby in your arms.

There is a small sub-category here, Soap dispensers:

Some you push manually, some have a motion activated sensor.

Hand-drying options:

Paper towels: Some you pull down manually. Some are motion activated by a wave of your hand.

Hot air blowers: Some require you to push a button. Others are motion activated, again by a wave of your hand.

As I outlined this information for our readers, I started to pick up on a trend. Each stage of the restroom experience is either manual or motion-activated, and can be recognized in the following ways:

Manual:
Most manual options will have a lever, or something to push or pull. In some cases, "PULL" will even be inscribed on some dispensers. This is not to be confused with a picture of a waving hand, which is solely for motion-activated paper towel dispensers.

Motion-Activated:
Sometimes the unit will be labeled "motion-activated." It is also possible that you will be able to locate a red, laser-like sensor. Stand in front of the sensor. In the case of toilets, whether or not it is labeled, all you must do is stand up.

I have included a printable here. Please download, print, and distress the edges with either a brown ink-pad or soaking with tea-bags and drop it in your purse as an easy reference the next time you or a little one has to go.

HOW TO: Make Shot Put Bread

The smell of Italian pasta is in the air. An undeniable and overpowering desire for garlic bread fills your soul. 
"Grocery store.... here I come!" You go to grab your keys.

No.

You decide you're gonna do this pioneer style. That's right. You're going to make your own bread. Garlic Shot Put Bread.

This is the bread BEFORE you shot put-itize it. It's okay.... but nothing makes you say "bon appetite" like a bread that requires an average of 53 chews for each swallowable bite!
 
I'm going to be frank and say that I'm not really sure how I achieved the beauty of my shot put bread. I guess you could say it's the magic in my hands. But I'll do my best to describe it here so people don't start referring to me as the Selfish Shot Put Bread Hog. 

1. Follow the recipe exactly.
2. Read each direction 5 times before, during, AND after you follow each step. Like really.
3. I learned this one long ago- detach your self-esteem from your cooking (you don't want to get TOO prideful).
4. And VUALA! You have yourself some delicious and mostly edible shot put bread!

P.S. If you want the ingredients/measurements, give me a ring.

 

HOW TO: Share Your Peach Milkshake

You buy a milkshake. Everyone wants a sip, but no one is exactly sure how to make it fair. Let's be honest, you want to be the dominate sipper without others' recognizing it. You've been there before. Well, fret no more! I'm going to share with you a cute and crafty way to secretly dominate the sipping and fancy up your milkshake sharing experiences.

1. Count how many people want a sip of your milkshake.

2. Take the number you counted to and memorize it.

3. Go to the straw dispenser and get that same number of straws.

I had counted to 3, I picked up 3

4. Open the straw wrapping.

Like this.

5. Remember the number you counted to... think of a shape that has the same number of vertices. 

(2- line segment, 3-equilateral triangle, 4-square, 5-regular pentagon, 6-regular hexagon, 7-regular hexagon, etc. )

6. Place the straws in your milkshake in that shape.

equilateral triangle

7. Sip...and secretly dominate. 

How to get and use a banana slicer.

How to get and use a banana slicer.
Maybe you have seen this banana slicer before in the grocery store. Today, I am going to tell you how to get and use one of these.

STEP 1: Go on a Disney cruise. Why is this important? What does it have to do with a banana slicer? That will become significant in a minute.

STEP 2: Meet a really cool guy named Joe. Joe will be crucial in your banana slicing journey. (PS-this step is CRUCIAL. If you go on a Disney cruise and do not meet a cool guy named Joe, you MUST return to step 1.)
STEP 3: Invite Joe to come and stay with your family for a fun-filled vacation.
STEP 4: Have Joe buy you a banana slicer. (This may or may not be a tricky step. Some people find that their friend Joe will just give them a banana slicer on his own. Others have found that their friend Joe has needed a little hint here and there to give them a banana slicer.)
STEP 5: Slice your banana with your new banana slicer.

DIY: Remodel your Living Room (on a budget!)

DIY: Remodel your Living Room (on a budget!)

BEFORE

This is how our living room looked before we moved in. I liked the natural sea tones of the chairs and the cherry brick reminiscent of the Washington blossoms.  We wanted to keep the organically gothic golden elegance of the room, but throw in our own modern touches. After a few minutes of work, we turned it into this...

AFTER

Being the giver that I am, I'll go ahead and tell you some of our best secrets in Q&A form.

FAQ:

1. Q: What if you don't quite have the funding for a sectional? 

     A: three thister writes: no problem! Just grab the 2 couches you do have and slide them together. As you can see, I was pretty lucky to have a floral couch and black couch with colors that seem to pull together naturally, like a cloudy spring day.

2. Q: What if you really want a different fire place with built in book shelves and a mantle to boot?

    A: Three thister writes: Just imagine you have it with all the frills. Then the red brick will grow on you. Using your imagination on a daily basis costs you absolutely nothing!

3. Q: What do I do if I have a scantily clad golden statue woman in my living room?

    A: three thister writes: How I was hoping you would ask! I was so proud of how we integrated our statue so naturally into our new room! This calls for a couple more pictures: 

   BEFORE

AFTER

Total transformation! Keep this between us, but I'm actually working on a cute little outfit for our sweet little Broom-Hilda!

Believe it or not, my husband and I did this remodel all for the price of.... 68 cents!

Here's the break down: 

2 prong plug in with a 3 prong opening.....68 cents. 

Stay tuned for our upcoming kitchen and bathroom remodel (on a budget!)!