I did all the normal cleaning tasks today and had about five minutes left over. I decided to do a quick repair that has been bugging me. You know what I mean – that screw missing from an outlet cover or the hole that needs patching from when you took the hook out of the ceiling. Just a little, easy thing, but you never seem to find the time to fix it. I decided to try to make a dent in the list of tiny tasks and was surprised at how many of them I got done in those few …read more

We all have that someone on our Christmas shopping list that is ridiculously hard to shop for. Perhaps it’s that really wonderful sister, or one of your kid’s teachers, or that great aunt that means so much to you. You want to get this person something that will really put a smile on their face, but try as you might you just can’t come up with a good gift idea. Here are a few unique gifts for those hard-to-buy-for people in your life.

Fortune Cookie Glass Ornaments
We all love fortune cookies, so why not take that idea and …read more

As the weather turns colder and colder, people are much more likely to pull out their space heaters to warm areas up. Unfortunately, this means that they are much more likely to suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning or to have a house fire. If you do need to use a space heater in your home, please make sure you are safe. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a list of guidelines to help people avoid problems with their heaters.

One of the most important things you can do? Buy a new heater instead of hauling out the old family heater that …read more

This project called for a frosted glass bowl, but I couldn’t find one in my price range so I improvised. Instead of a using a frosted bowl or frosting a plain bowl I used a regular glass bowl. I chose a footed or pedestal bowl and I applied rub ons. Rub ons, for anyone who doesn’t know are small graphics on a sheet of paper or cellophane. You need to take a popsicle stick and rub the graphic from the paper onto the surface you are decorating.  The package will have all of the instructions, it’s very easy.
Here is what …read more

When you’re making your Christmas shopping list, remember to include new cookie cutters or other baking tools for making seasonal treats. I’ve included several different options below to get you warmed up.
Let’s face it. Pretzels look rather boring, but Christmas is the perfect time to dress them up! You can get the recipe and tools needed for these Sweet Gifts Under the Tree Pretzel Sticks from Wilton.

Something is missing from these ABC (Already Been Chewed) Gingerbread Cookie Cutters from Chef Central. Even if you’re not a baker, these seamless cast aluminum cuties would make a sweet gift for only $7.99!

Or …read more

Our giveaway for the book Toxic Friends ended yesterday, which means that today we announce a winner! Using random.org, I was able to randomly choose our winner, the 30th commenter to our post.

That person is:
Daniel M
Congrats to him! For those that didn’t win, be sure to check out the other great contests we have going on at Blisstree.

My grandpa was one of the most difficult people to buy gifts for. It wasn’t that he didn’t like things, but he had simple tastes and often said he didn’t need much. If you also have an elderly friend or relative that is difficult to buy for, here are a few gift ideas that might be of help.

Book with Questions to Answer
So many of us don’t know enough about our heritage. One way to get grandma or grandpa to tell you more is by asking them questions. But rather than telling you about their life, why …read more

Tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 24) at 1 pm Eastern, join a live chat about Thanksgiving food safety at the Consumer Reports Safety blog! The live chat, hosted by Consumer Reports’ food safety expert Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., will cover Thanksgiving food preparation, including info on the safe handling of raw turkey, plus specific reader questions about the big meal.

Dr. Rangan will also discuss the meaning behind food labels, such as “hormone-free,” “natural,” “free-range” and “certified humane.” She is an expert on many topics, including organic standards, food safety issues, environmental pollution, toxins in consumer products and environmental health concerns. If you can’t …read more

Oh, it is the dream of a lifetime! You’re going to spend the whole month with your family. You can’t wait to shut up your house and go, go, go. Before you leave, though, you have a few things to do. Let’s see. Pack the suitcases, take the plants to your friend’s house and…Oh, yes. Prepare your home for your absence.
The first thing to keep in mind when you are going away for a long period of time is that you don’t want your home to look invitingly empty. Some people hire house sitters. Others set lights on timers …read more

Sometimes the best decorations take the least amount of time to make. I have always loved scented pinecones. I like to place the pinecones all around the house, especially in the dinning room. Sitting down to a meal with the fresh smell of cinnamon and pine in the air makes it that much more enjoyable.
I have a very simple and creative project for you today.
Here is what you will need to get started:

24 small (2×2 inch) pinecones
2 ounces or ¼ cup of Frankencense powder
4 ounces or ½ cup of Myrrh powder
1 ¼ cups of gold glitter
White craft glue
Cellophane bags
A shallow …read more