Traffic pro

Paper mache is a wonderous thing. I have been using it a lot lately. These paper mache maracas are a great crafts to help celebrate Cinco De Mayo.




YOU WILL NEED

• Balloons
• Newspaper
• Dowels
  
• Elmers Glue or Flour
  
• Warm Water
• Uncooked Rice
• Duct Tape
  
• Paint
  
• Paint Brush

DIRECTIONS

1. Blow two balloons up and tie them off. Remember to not make them too big.
2. Mix the glue paper mache paste. This paste is a mixture of half glue and half warm water. You can use a traditional flour and water paper mache paste but your maracas might not last as long. If you use flour the mixture will be twice as much water as flour.
   
3. Cover your work surface with newspaper to make clean up easier.
4. Dip strips of newspaper in paper mache paste and then cover your balloon in two layers.
5. Leave your maracas to dry over night. Keep your paste in a sealed container or wrap with plastic wrap.
   
6. The next day cut a small hole at the tied end of the balloons. Carefully pull out the broken balloon and pour in some uncooked rice.
   
7. Place your dowel in the hole and gently attach with duct tape. You do not want to crush the maracas.
8. Now you can add two more layers of paper mache to your maracas. Make sure to cover all of the tape.
9. Let dry over night again.
10. If your maracas do not feel sturdy enough you can do more layers.
11. After you are finished and your maracas are fully dry you can paint them.

Now find some Mexican music and have fun dancing around and playing your beautiful maracas that you made yourself!

This simple pinata is easy for small children or the not so crafty mom. The paper bag pinata would be perfect for a Cinco De Mayo celebration.




YOU WILL NEED

• 1 brown paper grocery bag
• Tissue paper in what ever colors you choose
• Crepe paper streamers or tissue paper in red, green and white
• 24” green yarn
• Hole punch
• Stapler
• Newspaper or other lightweight filler
• Small trinkets and candies
• Scissors
• White glue

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a normal brown paper bag with treats and cheap toys from a dollar store.
2. Fill any extra space in the bag with balled up newspaper.
3. Fold the top of the bag down so that you have a thick enough fold to hang it from.
4. Staple across the fold to keep the bag closed.
5. Punch two holes in the fold so you can hang your pinata when you finish.
6. Place the bag on top of a sheet tissue paper and tape the sides so the bottom is covered.
7. Cut tissue paper into strips.
8. Cut fringes by cutting half way up the strips.
   
9. Starting at the bottom glue the tissue paper strips around the bag. Be sure not to glue down the fringes.
10. Thread string or yarn through the first hole and knot it at the bag. When you have chosen a good length cut the string, put it through the second hole, and knot the end.
11. Hang the paper bag pinata somewhere to dry.
    
12. While the pinata is hanging you can glue strips of tissue paper or streamers to the bottom.
    

Will the bad economy cause a spike in crime rates? There has been a big debate on that very topic. Some say that good and honest people will not change just because they are out of work. Others say that losing a job and facing a foreclosure is exactly what will cause good people to commit crimes. In some areas crime has already risen.



I believe that everyone is born good. There are then many factors that can change their lives. How many times have you seen people on the news stating that a criminal was such a nice person or "seemed so normal"?

So what can you do to protect yourself, your family, and your possessions?

Start with the obvious things... Keep all doors and windows locked. Always keep a light on at night if you are not home. Outdoor motion sensor lights are great too. I have motion sensor lights that cover the front and back of the house.

If you will be away for awhile, a light on a timer would be a good idea. You could also have a television or radio on a timer. Next turn down the ringer on your phones so people outside can not hear that no one is answering the phone.

Don't go around advertising your expensive possessions. When you are not home that big screen television in the window looks great. The box it came in sitting on the curb on trash day may not go unnoticed either.

This is a big one... Look around your yard and see if there is anything around that people can use to climb into windows. Trees and bushes can be used to climb too.

Also remember that some things that make your life easier also makes the life of a thief easier too. Things we use to create privacy in our yards also allow thieves to break in unnoticed. Spare keys left under mats, above door frames, or in fake rocks are the first thing thieves look for.

If you are really wanting to keep everything safe you may want to go even further and get a home security system. It may even lower your home owner's insurance by 20%.

There are many systems out there to choose from. The are a few very important things to think about when choosing a home security company.

Does the company have 24 hour monitoring? Some companies rely on just a loud alarm but if no one hears it and makes a phone call it is worthless.

Is it a well known company that has been around for years? You do not want to have the company close down and leave you with nothing.

Is there a warranty period in place so that if you are not happy with the system after you get it you can get a refund?

Is there free relocation? If you move a few years down the line you do not want to pay for it all again.

Next do some research and shop different companies online. Some companies have great deals that are available only online. Right now ADT has an online only deal that gets you a home security system for only $99 plus $33.99 a month for monitoring. That is a pretty great deal.

Kids love using straws. Through the years we have had many types of crazy straws in our house. Now there is a build your own kit so you can create a really crazy straw.



James and Nicole went on a field trip yesterday. One of the locations was selling these great straws named Strawz. The girls had a blast last night playing with them and drinking out of them. They even drank plenty of water which they seldom do. Who knows maybe these cute Strawz will keep them drinking more water each day.


This is what comes in the set. It allows for as many types of Strawz as you can imagine. The girls have made really tall ones, two person ones, and ones that wrap around the glass.

They would be a great gift for kids or even an adult that likes "geeky" type gifts.

So what do you do with all of those Easter egg shells? Kids love coloring eggs but the fun does not have to end there. Recycle those egg shells and make art.





All you need is paper, colored egg shells, and some glue for this one. The rest is up to you. You can print a coloring page, draw a picture, or let the kids draw their own picture. Next fill the area you will be working on with ordinary white glue. Now the kids can add the pieces of egg shell to the paper to make the picture.

This art project will need to dry for awhile on a flat surface.

These are tough economic times for many people. Many companies are downsizing or laying people off. On top of that, everything is getting more expensive. What do you do when you get behind and there is no money tree?
Times are tough and many families do not have a safety net.



In a perfect world everyone would have money saved for emergencies. The reality is that many families do not. Now add to that the fact that many families have lost jobs or have been laid off. This means that whatever savings they had is already being used to pay bills.

Now is the time to simplify. Sit down with all of your bills and look at them realistically. Can you really afford them all? Do you really need them all? What can you downsize? Choose cheaper plans for things like phone and cable. It does not have to be forever, just until you get caught back up.

Spring is here so garage sales are starting. Get rid of some of the clutter and make money too. What else do you have in your house that is not needed? We recently sold our third vehicle. We could not drive them all at once and it just took up space in the driveway.

There are many ways to cut back so you can get caught up on bills but what happens when you are faced with an emergency? You get in an accident or your car breaks down. You need money for repairs and there is not any money left.

First look into quick ways to get money that do not incur interest. You do not want to end up further in debt trying to pay off interest. Are there family members that could help? Can you sell something? Maybe sell something to a family member with the intent of buying it back when you have the money. This is a nice way to get a loan with no interest.

Do you have an IRA? You are allowed to take out an IRA Loan from the money in your IRA once a year. It is tax free as long as you pay it back within 60 days. Make sure you do not take out more than you can pay back in 60 days. If you are not over 59 and do not pay back the loan on time you can end up paying up to 40% in taxes and penalties.

If you have gone through all the steps and still have no options you may be stuck taking out a payday loan. This should always be a last resort. Always try going to your boss and asking for an advance first.

Many people are faced with no other option when an emergency happens and they must do a payday loan. You should always go into it with open eyes. Read all of the fine print and really see what you are getting into. There are many companies out there and they vary greatly.

It can be very embarrassing to go into a cash advance business. It is a loan after all so there will be paper work and it could take a long time. One option is to do it online. You do still need to look into rates, flexibility, and if it is a reputable company.

Let's look at one such company. Payday One is an online payday loan company that is based in the United States. You are able to look at the terms and rates according to the state you live in. You are then able to look at a table that shows you how much you will have to pay back. Every state has different regulations so the terms can be very different from state to state.

An important feature to look for when choosing a company is how fast you have to pay it back and what happens to the interest the longer it takes you to pay it back. Many companies charge you huge fees and interest rates if you can not pay it back right away. Make sure you actually look at all of the fees and schedules before you do anything.

These edible Easter baskets are an adorable addition to any Easter table. We love edible crafts so this one is a big winner in our family.




For this tasty treat you place waffle sundae bowls on a baking sheet and pour in any cake batter. Remember to leave room for it to rise while baking. When the cupcakes are cooled start by frosting them. You can then tint some coconut green by mixing it in a bowl with some food coloring. After you add the green coconut grass you can decorate with some egg shaped candy. All that is left now is to poke some licorice in to make a handle for the basket.