5 Creative Uses for Jars

Do you have a lot of old food jars laying around?  There are some great creative uses for jars that will help you out with storage.  You can use it to store craft supplies, emergency items, or even your own air freshener.  Keep reading and check out apartment therapy for more information.




1. Drill a hole in the top and use it to store your string. Use a jar with a fun top or simply paint your own.

2. Wrap them in twine to make simple and cheap centerpiece vases.

3. Cover jar lids with pretty scrap paper, and use them to store your odds & ends.

4. Make your own natural air freshener. Combine baking soda and your favorite essential oil in a jar, and punch some holes in the lid.

5. Make an emergency oil lamp. All you need is a jar, wick, and a natural cooking oil like olive oil.

And before you even get started, here's a tip on how to clean the smell out of food jars.

5 Beautiful Flowers You Probably Didn't Know You Could Eat

Summer flowers are in bloom, and boy do they smell good! You might enjoy more than just the smell, as some of them are literally good enough to eat! Check out "5 Beautiful Flowers You Probably Didn't Know You Could Eat" below and add some petals to your plate!

Candied rose petals on cakes and stuffed squash blossoms are yesterday's news! Here are five edible flowers that will make you look at your flower bed in a new and delicious light.

I have been slightly obsessed with edible flowers ever since picking up a copy of Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher. The pages of this book are full of ideas that bring bright colors and new flowery flavors to almost every meal of the day. These five have me particularly excited:

1. Daylilies: Bacher says all parts of the daylily are edible, from the blooms to the roots, and they have a fresh "sweet lettuce" flavor. Add them to salads for a pop of color or use them in stir fries.

2. Lilacs: Oh, yeah! That heady, sweet, floral fragrance that turns heads apparently translates directly onto the plate. Use only the blossoms themselves, and infuse them into sorbets, ice creams, puddings, and even jam. My first project is going to be an infused simple syrup for use in cocktails.

3. Orchids: Although these flowers might seem too pretty to eat, you definitely should. Bacher describes their flavor as a mix "cucumber and endive." She recommends using them in stir fries or candy them for cake decorations.

4. Sunflowers: I love sunflower seeds, but never thought about the petals! They have mild grassy flavor. Pluck those petals and fold them into grain salads or bake them into a loaf of bread (Bacher's recipe in the book uses both the petals and the seeds for a double dose of sunflower!)

5. Tulips: Tulips have a cucumber flavor like orchids, but without the spiciness. Given their cup-like shape, they are nature's original edible container. Bacher suggests using them as ice cream bowls, but I also like the idea of packing them with a grain salad and taking them on a picnic. Remove the pistols and stamens before using.

Whenever you're cooking with flowers, make sure you only pick or buy flowers that have been grown organically and without pesticides. Many flowers intended for floral arrangements are sprayed with pesticides and insecticides that aren't always safe for consumption.

(Image: kikolinakika/Shutterstock)




Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/16dieAH

Navigating How to Live at Home in the Summer

College is now over for the year, and you are living at home with your parents.  This can be a difficult transition anytime you need to move home. However, with these steps you can be sure to have the best experience possible.  Make sure to take advantage of the resources you have around you, and you can enjoy this time with your family.  You can find out more at College Cures.

Most of you will be packing up and heading back home to spend quality time with Mom and Dad for the next few months now that school is out.

Although some of you, I’m sure, are already moaning and groaning thinking about the fact you have to live in such close quarters with your parental units, don’t count out the pros of this just yet!

While I’m no longer in college (I’m just a poor recent graduate), I can still give you some insight on why living at home can be great.

You’re not paying rent.
Seriously. Rent takes such a dent out of each and every one of my paychecks. I would love to live at home if I could! You’re able to keep the money that you would be spending on rent to live in a different city for the summer to save up for something special. Even if you don’t have something in mind that you want to save up for right now, you’ll definitely want to start tucking some money away for when you have to enter “the real world.” Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

You’re spending quality time with family.
Once you move out, you won’t be able to get this time back. Even though it seems absurd to think this right now, there will come a time when you wish you could go back to the days of living under the same roof as Mom, Dad and the rest of your siblings. There are so many things that I’m sure you take for granted right now and don’t even realize it. You’ll find that you will miss the simple things – like helping a younger sibling with their homework or going to the grocery store with your Mom. Enjoy it while you can!

You’ve got a support system around you.
There are no words to describe what it feels like when all you want is a close friend or family member to give you a hug and they are hours away. There will be times when all you want is a pep talk from your Mom and Dad. Luckily, since you’re at home, they are accessible to you by just walking down the hallway. Although we’ve got Skype and Facetime these days, they still aren’t the perfect substitute for getting a hug from Mom or Dad.

You can learn skills you didn’t have time to before.
Ever wanted to learn how your Mom gets her shirts perfectly starched? Or maybe how your Dad ties a bow tie? Take this time to learn everything you’ve been meaning to ask your parents about. For example, when I lived at home after my freshman year, I learned more from my mom on how to cook some of my favorite recipes, since I knew I would be living in an apartment the next year and wouldn’t have easy access to cafeteria food. Don’t underestimate all that your parents can teach you!

Now that we’ve discussed the pros of your living situation, here are a couple things you need to keep in mind to keep your parents happy while you’re under their roof:
Be respectful of bed times for younger siblings.
Understand that a curfew isn’t a death sentence.
Volunteer to help around the house (even if you don’t want to).
Watch your language and topics of discussion around younger siblings.
Show respect to your parents and they will respect you back – you’re way too old to throw fits.

7 Tips for Cleaning Your Computer

 

 Do you have food crumbs, string, makeup, dust, or anything else on your computer? Cleaning your computer is an important part of it's upkeep and maintenance.  You can learn about 7 easy steps to clean your computer below. You can also find more great cleaning tips on apartment therapy.

 

What You Need

Materials

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Distilled water

Tools

• Air Blaster
• Toddy cleaning cloth
• Microfibre cleaning cloth
• Cotton swabs
• For keeping it tidy: Moshi PalmGuard & ClearGuard

Instructions

1. Unplug and turn off the laptop.
2. Use an air blaster like Giotto's AA1900 to get rid of large crumbs, debris, or dust.
3. Dip a microfibre cleaning cloth in a 50/50 water and isopropyl alcohol solution, then wipe off the keyboard and laptop surfaces (but not the screen).
4. Use a cotton swab dipped in the water & alcohol solution to clean in between the keys. Allow to dry.
5. Use the air blaster on the screen to remove dust and debris.
6. Using a double sided cleaning cloth, like the Toddy Smart Cloth to clean the screen. Start with the terrycloth side and follow with the microfibre side.
7. Maintain the cleanliness of your laptop by using a keyboard guard like the Moshi ClearGuard when eating at your computer and a palm rest for everyday use like the Moshi PalmGuard.