DIY Fix: What to do with a broken Spray Nozzle

What to Do With a Broken Spray Nozzle

 

Again, this DIY craft adventure has been surprising. I save shampoo bottles, body spray bottles, cleaning solution bottles with spray, pump, and squirt tops, and more, and reuse them for various DIY cleaning solutions, diluted shampoo, DIY hand soap, and DIY hair spray, for example.

When I got tired of trying to fix the spray pump on my shampoo bottle, I went to Youtube to find repair ideas. I found some but they did not work, so I exchanged the faulty spray pump top with a dishwashing bottle squirt top.

 

Watching YouTube DIY videos and reading articles about living frugally inspires creativity and imagination.

 

I’ll try to fix the spray bottle at another time.

 

 

Using Pasta Water and Vegetable Water in Soups

While I do not have a large frig, I like my frig. But, I can’t save everything. Already, I have bottles and containers of stale beer, pickle juice, tea, coconut creme, sesame creme, lime juice concentrate, cranberry and other juices, so I am tight for space, so I do not often save my pasta water or vegetable water.

But, recently, I made a batch of pasta and saved the pasta water.

I had just cooked a whole patti pan squash in a pot of water and had saved the vegetable water.

After making the pasta, I decided to use the pasta water and squash water to make chicken broth.

 

I did not include quantities here because I just used what I had, about 1-3 cups of each.

Using Pasta Water and Vegetable Water in Soups

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Pasta water

Vegetable water

Onion flakes

Garlic powder

Ground black pepper

1 chicken bouillon cube

Extra water if needed

 

 

Process:

Add a dollop of vegetable water to a pot.

Add spices and bouillon cube.

Stir to mix well.

Heat on medium-high for a few minutes while stirring.

Add extra vegetable water, if needed.

Add pasta water.

Add remaining vegetable water.

Add extra water if needed.

Stir.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer.

Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove.

Divide broth into individual serving freezer containers.

Hours later, I wanted to see how the broth tasted.

So, I emptied one serving into a large bowl and added about 2 TBspns of diced leftover chicken.

I covered the bowl and microwaved it for 4 minutes on high. (Microwave for 2-3 minutes if broth is not frozen.)

Be careful when removing bowl from microwave, the soup will be very hot.

I was pleasantly surprised, the soup had a smooth tasty flavor.

 

DIY: Easy Creamy Honey Mustard Dip

With guidance from the recipe below, I used an almost empty honey jar and made a creamy honey mustard dip.

 

 

DIY: Easy Creamy Honey Mustard Dip
(Adapted from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/mustard-mayo-dip-3056312)

Ingredients:

3 Heaping TBspns Mayo

1 Tspn yellow mustard

2 Tspns Honey

3 Tspns Dry Parsley flakes

3 Tspns Dry onion flakes

1-2 Drops Hot sauce

A pinch Tarragon powder

Ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 Capful of lime juice concentrate

Options: add Horseradish and / or Worcestershire sauce

Add ingredients into a jar and stir well to thoroughly mix the ingredients.

Refrigerate when not using the dip.

DIY: Crafts - Uh oh, Phase - Projects on Hold - Cardboard Earrings

DIY: Crafts - Uh oh Phase - Projects on Hold - Cardboard Earrings

While crafting, The Use What You Have approach was working great, then I fell in love with cardboard earrings and I didn't have jump rings and my skills to twist wire into jump rings wasn't working, so the potential cardboard earrings pile began to grow because I don’t think going out for jump rings is worth risking lives especially since I live in a hot zone and craft stores don’t deliver.

I am obsessed with cardboard earrings.

“Obsession - a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling - broadly : compelling motivation....”
—Miriam Webster

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsession

I found that postcards, greeting cards, scrap paper, photographs, maps, bookmarks, business cards, and even carry-out container stickers can be used to make cardboard earring designs.

So, if you see me staring at something, I am probably wondering if it could be used as a cardboard earring design.

Fabrics and yarn aren’t on the agenda, yet.

But, I have a secondary obsession, making cardboard stained glass earrings.

My Favorite Yoga Poses

I love Yoga.

The Yoga practiced in the U.S. is a westernized version.

As a senior, Yoga helps keep me flexible, plus, there are many other benefits.

Yoga saved my life.

After a bad fall, I had difficulty walking. After taking several Yoga classes and practicing at home (with medical approval), my flexibility improved a lot. My walking gait is smoother, my back pain is less.

Plus, I like the emphasis on breathing and good posture.

 

These are my favorite Yoga poses / Asanas:

 

Mountain pose / Tadasana

 

Standing Forward Pose / Uttanasana

 

Corpse Pose (Supine Full Stretch) / Shavasana

 

Supine Butterfly / Supta Baddha Konasana

 

Shoulder Blade Pinch

 

Lower Back Press

 

Supine Twist Pose / Supta Matsyendrasana

 

Supine Knee-to-Chest / Apanssana

 

Knee-to-Chest Roll / Pawan Muktasana

 

Ab Crunches

 

Seated Butterfly / Baddha Konssana

 

Seated Forward Fold / Paschimottanasana

 

Twisted Sage Pose / Marichyasana III

 

Cat / Cow Pose / Marjaryasana

 

Baby Pose / Garbhasana

 

A few references:

https://www.yogabasics.com/practice/yoga-postures/supine-yoga-poses/

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses

DIY: Patterned Paper

My DIY Crafting Adventure: Plodding Along with Patterned Paper

For two days, I have been plodding from task to task filled with disappointment because my crafting / art skills are not improving fast enough.

Plus, I have watched so many DIY Craft YouTube videos, they’ve become a muddle in my brain.

My main focus, at the moment, is boxing and wrapping the items I have completed.

Making wrapping paper wasn’t high on my list but now I find that is what I need to do.

After a rough start, I actually made some decent patterned paper to use as wrapping paper.

My first attempt at patterned paper looked more like a Rorschach test.

This is ok, I like using a variety of different sized circles, just need to make some improvements like arrangement and color choice.

 While, I like this one, need to improve my tree doodle.

   

Almost got it with this one!

The previous three samples are an example of my craft supplies management. To conserve my permanent colored markers and acrylic paints, I dug out my colored pencils. They are fun to use!

On a positive note, my patterned paper disasters will be great for making paper beads!

Here are links to just two of the many DIY Patterned Paper YouTube videos I perused:

https://youtu.be/iuulm92pEv4

https://youtu.be/uyAcE12htMk

Reference:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test

 

Microwave: Mug O'Fried Rice & Egg Using Leftovers

Microwave: Mug O'Fried Rice & Egg Using Leftovers (LO)
 

Ingredients:

A Dab Vegetable oil
1 Egg
6 Tspns LO Cooked rice
1-3 Drops Hot sauce
2 Tspns Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Ground Black pepper, to taste
1 TBspn LO Canned salsa
1 TBspn LO Canned corn, drained and rinsed
A dollop of Milk
A dribble of Lime juice

 
Process:

Use a dab of oil to coat bottom and sides of mug.
Add remaining ingredients to the mug.
Whip and stir mixture thoroughly.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove.
With a fork, check bottom of mug to make sure there is no uncooked liquid left. If so, microwave 30 seconds or more until all liquid has cooked.

Eat straight from the mug or use mixture to make a Toast Topping.