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Simple Ideas

Why I’m Going Naked For A Month

 

Yes, I’ve decided to go naked for a whole month. I started this week and I don’t regret it one bit! I’ve said goodbye to nail polish for one month, on both my hands and my feet! (What? What did you think I meant?)

It was time – my nails had been hidden underneath acrylic, and although they looked pretty, they were choking beneath the surface. It was time to let them breathe!! And this is what they looked like after removing the acrylics (Not a pretty sight!):

 

 

Easy Halloween Treats & Decor

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Halloween is almost here! Whether you are going to a Halloween party this year or you are hosting one this weekend, the Simple Solutions Diva has some simple Halloween snacks and décor you can make yourself!

Witches Broom Snacks

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These are as simple as 3 ingredients – and they aren’t full of sugar! String cheese, pretzel sticks and fresh chives make up this adorable and tasty Halloween treat!

Instructions – Cut the string cheese into thirds. Slice the pieces of cheese 2/3 of the way to the top, creating the bristles of the broom. Stick a pretzel stick into the top (uncut) side of the broom. Tie the chive just above the cuts of the “broom” bristles. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Spider Ice Cubes

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Create a surprise in your party cocktails with these creepy ice cubes! 

Instructions – Take (new) plastic spiders and wash them in soapy water, rinse and let dry. Place a spider into each space in an ice cube tray and fill with water. Freeze overnight, pop them out and use in your Halloween drinks or cocktails. (Note: If you want crystal clear ice cubes, boil the water before filling the ice cube tray.)

Carrot Finger Food – “Don’t Stick Your Fingers in The Dip” doesn’t apply here!

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Carrots carved into fingers, complete with slivered almond nails, make the perfect “Finger Food”! You only have to create a few to make the impact. Stick a few in your favorite dip and place them in and around the other veggies you supply with the dip!

Instructions – Peel and wash the carrots. Cut the carrots into finger-sized pieces. Using a knife or a vegetable peeler, carve out a “nail bed”. Secure the almond “nail” with a dot of sour cream.

Foam Pipe Insulation “Chains” 

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These make for some great table decor or to make your home look creepy. Simply purchase foam pipe insulation (it is dark grey). Slice the insulation into small rounds – these are the chain “links”. Attach the links together to make a chain. Hang on your stair railing, decorate your Halloween party table, or use as part of a costume! If you do decide to use them as part of a costume, you will want to secure the links closed using a hot glue gun (low temperature).

Glove Hand Treat Bag

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You can find plastic gloves at dollar stores or in the grocery stores. Simply fill them with favorite Halloween Candy and close and secure the bottom with string, yarn or twisty-ties.

Yarn Pumpkin

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My Confession: Sometimes, my projects don’t go as planned! Originally, I was going to create a paper mache pumpkin using yarn instead of paper. But honestly, it just didn’t work! The yarn stuck to the balloon – I couldn’t deflate the balloon without ruining the “pumpkin”. As I tried to figure out what else I could do, I realized the ball of orange yarn looked exactly like a pumpkin! So I added a pipe cleaner stem and leaf and, Voila! A cute yarn pumpkin! Couldn’t have been easier!

 

Thank you to WTLV-TV/NBC 12 First Coast Living for inviting me on to share these ideas!

A Round-Up Of The Diva’s Favorite Household Tips

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In honor of her LIVE appearances at the 2016 Fall Jacksonville Home + Patio Show, the Diva is sharing her favorite, simple household tips!  Come out and say “Hi” on Sunday, October 2 at 11:30 a.m. – The Diva will be cooking things up on The Jacksonville Magazine Cooking Stage! If you plan to go to the Jacksonville Home + Patio Show, use promo code DIVA to get a discount on your tickets when you buy online! Buy Tickets HERE.

How To Fold A Towel For Easy Stacking: Tired of your towels flopping over when you try to stack them? The Diva makes it easy! Check out the tip – Click Here

How To Get Your Dryer To Dry Faster: Is it taking forever for your clothes to dry? Try this little tip from the Diva – Click Here

What To Do With Dryer Lint: If you do laundry, you know it always produces lint! You can leave the lint (along with old thread) out for the birds to use in their nests! Or check out this simple tip  from the Diva – Click Here 

The Secret Way To Make A Room Smell Great! – Try adding a Febreze Car Vent Clip to your air conditioning vent in a room – rarely do people look up when they enter a room, so it is a great way to make a room smell great, without being too heavy a scent! Available at Pubix, Target, Walmart and more. Or, you can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your air conditioning filter when you change it out every month.screen-shot-2016-09-29-at-7-20-36-am

Simple Way to Clean Blinds: Tongs & Microfiber cloths! Wrap a microfiber cloth around each end of tongs, secure them with rubber bands, and you have a simple tool to clean those blinds! Toss the cloths into the wash when done!

How To Clean Large Amount Of Silverware: This is my FAVORITE Simple Holiday Survival Tip! Click Here to see how to go from tarnished to clean, without having to do all that hard polishing! (And you have to watch my Simple Holiday Survival Series before the holidays!)

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How To Clean A Wooden Cutting Board: Lay the board on a clean work surface. Sprinkle the cutting board with salt. Using half of a lemon, place cut side down on the board and rub in a circular motion, combining the lemon and salt. The salt gently removes any built up grime, and the lemon naturally sterilizes the wood.

How To Clean Your Hair Dryer: Prevent your hair dryer from blowing up with this SIMPLE tip! Click Here

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Thank you to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living for having me on to share these tips!

 

 

Stop That Sweaty, Summertime Chafing!

 

This is your summertime PSA, and you are welcome!

Ok, I admit this is kind of an unusual post for me. (And it is NOT a sponsored post!) But I view it as a summertime public service announcement (PSA) for all of us who don’t have a thigh gap. What is a Thigh Gap? Barbie is here to illustrate:

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Thigh Gap: When Thighs Don’t Touch When Standing with knees together – usually someone who is 95 pounds and 2% body fat! AKA: Something I haven’t experienced, I don’t know, since maybe I was 8 years old!

 

I was inspired to do this post while on a college tour with my youngest. It was extremely hot and humid, and my skort (skirt with built-in shorts) was not keeping my thighs from rubbing together! Talk about uncomfortable! So when I got home, I decided to find out how to prevent that chafing. My friends who are runners & bikers probably know this already, but it was all new to me!

So if you, like me, are not aware of how to stop the bane of summer, enjoy and learn! You are welcome!

 

SSD Chafing

The Secret To Making Cut Flowers Last Longer!

I love fresh cut flowers, so when I checked on Pinterest how to make flower bouquets last longer, I couldn’t believe the variety of tips! So, I decided to Put Pinterest To The Test and test out the top three suggestions! And here are my results:

 

 

Plant 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do you have a favorite tip? One that always works? Share it with the Diva at info@simplesolutionsdiva.com!

SSD Cut FLowers

 

 

 

 

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