DIY Iced Coffee Frappé

I have a little bit of an obsession with coffee.  I love it in all it's forms - hot, iced, frappucinno, flavored or original.  Even coffee ice cream.  (mmm... coffee ice cream...)

If it wasn't for the new development of caffeine now affecting my sleep if I drink it after about 3pm, I would drink coffee constantly.  From the moment I woke up until I go to sleep at night.  But, since I don't like being wide awake until the wee hours of the morning and I no longer drink decaf - I have to place a limit on my coffee consumption.

Unfortunately, trips to my favorite coffee dealer shop can get expensive.  Not to mention that all the sugar and calories in my preferred beverages can't be good for me.

A little do-it-yourself to the rescue!  After a few attempts, I have come up with a frappucino knock-off .  It's made with only 4 ingredients.  It's much lower in calories and sugar than the famous version.  And, in my opinion, it's delicious!!

I start by putting ice into my little blender.   I usually put in about 6 to 8 cubes.

 You could use cold brew and I probably will soon.  But right now I have some organic extra bold brew that came in a variety box of single brew cups. It's a bit strong as a hot coffee, but allowed to chill in the fridge and mixed into this drink - it's perfect!

Next in the mix is a half cut of unsweetened almond milk and some chocolate syrup.  I use 1 to 2 tablespoons, but you can add more or less depending on how sweet and/or chocolatey you like your drink.

Blend the mixture until the ice is crushed and the ingredients are well blended.

Look out creamy and frothy this is! SO good!!

Will you be trying this recipe?  Or do you have your own favorite coffee drink?  Share in the comments, or post a picture on Instagram using the hashtag #myreallyrealcoffeebreak  (and be sure to tag me @carolinabeckey !)

New Life for Old Shoes

My feet can be very temperamental when it comes to shoes.  So when I find a cute pair that are comfortable - I want to hang on to them as long as possible.  

This pair of ballet flats are awesome.  They work with everything from pants to skirts.  And they have a nice cushy sole that my moody arches love!  Sadly, they were starting to look... well, sad.  See for yourselves.

The toes and heels were scuffed and worn.  But I just couldn't bear to part with them.  Never fear!  I came up with plans to give them a sparkly new outlook!  

Taking them from this:

To THIS:

For this project I needed:

• Scissors
• Tape
• Glitter glue for fabric
• Glitter
• Thin ribbon
• Yarn needle

First, I brushed them with a stiff brush to clean them.  Then I clipped off the old bows.

Then, I taped off a section of the toes and the strip on the back of the heels.  This keeps the glue where I want it to be. 

I applied glue to the taped off areas... 

And covered them with glitter.

I repeated the glue and glitter process once more, for a nice coverage before allowing everything to dry overnight. 

The next morning, I used a yarn needle to thread the ribbon through the holes where the cording used to be and tied some pretty new bows. 

Voila!  My worn looking ballet flats are now shiny and beautiful.

They make me happy when I look down and see them, and I get SO many compliments when I wear them.

Simple DIY Dryer Sheet Sponges

I love the smell of freshly cleaned laundry.  Whether dried on the line, or in my machine - there is the scent of one particular type of fabric softener which I can't get enough of.  (Oddly, it's the brand which actually advertises that people will become addicted to the scent.  Score one for truth in advertising.) 

I have to admit though - there is also a part of me that cringes at the cost of dryer sheets when it's a use it once and throw it away item.  (That would be the cheapskate side of me.

But no more!  I have finally figured out a way to DIY my own dryer sheets!  OK... they're not exactly sheets.  They're sponges.  But it works the same way as a sheet. 

It uses liquid fabric softener, and stretches it out with water.  Saving me money. And if (unlike myself) you are happy with an inexpensive brand of liquid fabric softener, rather than being picky about using one particular name brand - even better! 

You will need:

    

• Liquid fabric softener of your choice
• Water
• A plastic container with a lid (I used an old one which was headed for the donate pile as part of my recent decluttering)
• Ordinary cleaning sponges

To Prepare Fabric Softener Sheet Sponges:

1.  Mix equal parts liquid fabric softener and water.  The amount you use will depend on the size of your plastic container and the number of sponges you have.  I used 2 cups of each, which might have been a tad bit much.

2.  Place sponges into plastic container.

3.  Pour fabric softener/water mixture over sponges.

4.  Cover plastic container with lid.  Allow sponges to absorb as much liquid as they will hold.

Store until ready to use

To Use Dryer Sheet Sponges:  Remove one sponge.  Squeeze out excess liquid into plastic container.  Toss sponge into dryer with wet laundry.   When you remove the clothes from the dryer, the sponge will be dry also.  Just pop it back into the plastic container to absorb more liquid for the next use!

After trying these on every type of laundry, except delicates - I have been very happy so far. 

And my wastebasket is no longer overflowing with used dryer sheets!  Yah! 

Now, if I could just find a solution for all that lint...

A Wise Woman Once Said... "Repurpose It!"

Got an item you aren't using?  Is there an item you need?  Maybe the answer is Repurposing! 

 Yesterday on "A Wise Woman Once Said..." I posted about how I went from 

THIS:

TO THIS:

Come over and visit us to see how I repurposed a spice shelf into a mail organizer!

http://awisewomansaid.blogspot.com/2014/02/repurposed-from-spice-shelf-to-mail.html

Feeling Crafty

Maybe it's the beginning of the new year.  Or a result of all the work we've done in the living room. Whatever the cause is - my creative spark is flaring up.

I spent far too much time on Pinterest today, scoping out ideas and longing to plan a trip to Michael's, Walmart, and the dollar store!

My mind is swimming with plans for new table runners, organization ideas for my crafting space and other clutter attracting spots around the house, and gifts!

I am sure I could have spent much, much more time browsing through pins, but I finally had to force myself to just close the window before my entire afternoon was sucked into a Pinterest void.!

I am so excited to start some great craft and DIY projects for 2013.  Be sure to stay tuned over at This IS My Day Job (my other blog) for posts about of all my upcoming projects!!

Thankful Thursday: October 25

Thursday is the day when I pause to take a few minutes and just soak in the blessings which have been poured over me during the past week.

Team Work: I am grateful that the Man of the House have the opportunity to work side by side together to make some changes and updates to our living room

DIY Know How: I am grateful that we (well,OK.... he) is handy enough to DIY the work so we can afford it.

Prune-staches:  I am thankful for the grand baby and the way he manages to make me laugh every single day. 

What are you thankful for?