Simply DIY 2

Whew !  I've finally found a little time to get some things done around the house that I have been wanting to do.   In light of the many natural disasters that have been wreaking havoc on our world, the internet has been bursting with ways to be prepared in case the power goes out ( or if you fail to pay your electric bill) , your house gets flooded, or find yourself in a log cabin far away from civilization.  I do have a little first aid kit, some flashlights, and three gallons of water in the basement…and that's about it.  I figured I'd get to storing food and other things ( like this ) later.   However, I did find something fun to do a few months ago...DIY soy candles.  I've never made candles before and I figured it would be a fun craft to attempt.  For Christmas, Kerry's parents got me a 10 pound bag of soy wax and a 96 pack of 6 inch wicks .  This past weekend I purchased 8 oz jelly jars and got to work !  It was actual...

Each year around the beginning of December, a few teacher friends and I get together and make homemade jam and apple butter.  Then we can the jam and apple butter and give them out as gifts.  Due to scheduling issues this year, we couldn't do it together.  Luckily I had my sidekicks to help this year - Kerry to help can and Stout waiting patiently for any apple butter goodness to fall on the floor. I made the apple butter in the crock pot, using applesauce and other ingredients, and let it cook slowly for about nine hours.  Yum!  Then I canned it with the help of my trusty assistant, Kerry.  After the jars cooled off, they were ready to be dressed up for gifts.   Typically I cut out circles of cute holiday fabric with pinking shears to decorate the tops of the jars...but  then I found this  idea  on Pinterest and loved it !   I thought this was a genius idea and it saves a lot of time.  I didn't have to trace out ...