I started out this project with little practical knowledge when it comes to working with dye. I’ve done a few t-shirts for the boys when they we’re in grade school. So I was very grateful that there were some instructional videos available to view that helped along the way.

Let’s get started…

The Supplies you will need include:

• Rit Liquid Dye (any color you like)
• Pillow cover
• Hot Water (1 cup)
• Plastic drop cloth
• Paint brushes (foam or bristle)
• Protective vinyl gloves
• Plastic Wrap

Measure out the amount of dye needed. I started with 1 tablespoon per cup of hot water for the lightest shade. Then added 4 tablespoons more for the medium shade and added an additional 4 tablespoons for the darkest shade.

Make sure the water is hot. The hotter the better, if you can I would recommend you use boiling water.

Brush on the different shades in whatever pattern you like.

I tried to do mine in wide stripes darker to lighter.

Once you have painted on the Rit Dye to the pillow cover fold it together in a size that will fit into your microwave and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place into your microwave and heat on high for 2 minutes. This helps to set the dye into the cloth. Let it set for a few minutes until it has cooled to the touch.

Rinse out under cold water in your sink until the water runs clear. Wring it out and throw it in a dryer on low heat to dry.

I’ll admit, I had my concerns with how this was going to turn out before I placed it in the dryer. And no it didn’t turn out in a true Ombre fashion that I was going for but I really like how it ended up. I added a few silk flowers to add a little more punch and now I’m looking for my next project.

A succulent is defined as any plant that stores water in it’s leaves, stems or roots to survive dry spells. You can see more Succulent Gardens on my Pinterest Board.

Let’s chat about how we created this cool Succulent Garden…

Succulent Garden Supply List

• Succulent Plants
• 4 inch PVC Pipe
• Spray Paint - Rust-Oleum American Accents Stone Textured Finish
• Primer – spray paint
• Sand Paper
• Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Citrus Soil
• Pea Gravel or stones to cover the soil
• Hacksaw for cutting the pipe

Here are some more detailed instructions…

First you will need to cut the PVC Pipe into varying lengths using a hacksaw, I cut 1 – 14″, 2 – 12″ and 2 – 10″ in length. Cut the top edge at an angle for more visual interest.

Then sand the cut edges with sand paper, and give them a good coat of Primer. After the primer is dry, then apply the Rust-Oleum American Accents Stone Textured Finish. After the pipes have dried 24 hours apply a clear matte top coat to protest the finish from moisture.

Now it’s time to prepare the area you are going to plant them. Loosen the soil and remove the soil from an area large enough to accommodate the pipes to a depth of 4 inches.

Next lay some pea gravel in the hole about 2 inches thick.

After the pipes have completely dried, set them into the pea gravel about 1 inch deep.

And then cover the pea gravel with soil.

Add some pea gravel to each pipe for drainage. Put enough in each pipe to come to about 6 inches from the top.

Then fill with Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Citrus Soil. This soil has spagnum moss and vermiculite for exceptional drainage.

Then it’s time to plant the Succulents. You can see exactly how I planted them on the video, just be sure to water them in well to get the soil to settle in around the roots. And then finish by dressing the top of the soil with a layer of pea gravel.

Succulent plants come in a wide range of colors and textures. We found all of these at The Home Depot. You can get gardening and join other real life green thumbs and those that aspire to have a green thumb at The Home Depot Garden Club.

We created this Indoor Succulent Garden for The Apron Blog. I love using unusual containers and Succulents are perfect plants to use because they don’t require a lot of soil.

I’ve had a pretty exciting week! On Monday, I was on the Chicago Fox News in the morning, check out the this very nervous lady…

Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

More and more women are taking on do-it-yourself project these days. Join in on the fun with participants and The Home Depot associates the the DIH Workshops Inspired by Pinterest.

I will be at The Home Depot store in Lincoln Park, Illinois tonight for the DIH Workshop at 6:30, won’t you join me?

Disclaimer: The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me for their Twitter Party and DIH Workshop program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

One of our favorite light dinners is Deli Style Pasta Salad made with Kraft Zesty Italian Anything Dressing! So when I was asked to share a recipe or two with you featuring Kraft Zesty Italian, I couldn’t resist!

Kraft and the Get Zesty Guy are steaming up the kitchen with fun and flavorful ways to dine at home, by adding a little zest to your everyday meals with its Zesty Italian Anything Dressing.

You can now get cheeky in the kitchen, with your friends and family by sending a personalized ZestyGram to add a little zest to everyday moments and special occasions.

The Zesty Guy is looking to zest up a spring recipe with Kraft Zesty Italian Anything Dressing. Perhaps you would like to try the Zesty Italian Chicken Salad, a simple, yet playful dish that will surprise even the biggest mainstream foodie. Or maybe the Primavera Pasta Toss with a little added zest to fettuccine and veggies Zesty Italian Dressing turns the most basic meal into a steamy, palette-able adventure.

For more Zesty Guy-approved visit Kraft recipes, follow them on Facebook or follow Zesty Guy on Twitter

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES: PLEASE read the Official Guidelines 

Entries only accepted on this page. Facebook, Twitter or email entries do not count. Open to US Residents only.

One lucky winner will receive a bottle of a zesty Italian perfume, such as Versace.

Please note that if you are enjoying this post via email subscription or in a reader, you will need to visit the blog to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: : I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Kraft partnered in support of this campaign. Kraft compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our lives now are quite a bit busier with children, their activities and work, but it’s never too busy for a fun dessert like these Neapolitan Cake Push Pops.

Neapolitan, a combination of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry is one my favorites. When baked in a cake and paired with JELL-O pudding and COOL WHIP whipped topping these treats are out of this world!

Let’s get baking…

When I spotted the Jet-Puffed Mallow Bites that are shaped like ice cream cones with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, I thought they would be perfect for a fun cool dessert or they even make great potluck desserts!

I also decided to cut down on time in kitchen, and bake the cupcakes instead of a cake.

To assemble the Cake Push Pops, first you will need to bake your cupcakes or cake. I used 1 chocolate cake mix and 1 vanilla cake mix. After baking the chocolate cupcakes, mix the vanilla cake mix according to the directions on the box and divide in half, flavor one half of the batter with a small box of Strawberry JELL-O.

If you are making a lot of these treats, you can certainly use a Strawberry Cake Mix, but by using the vanilla divided it also cuts down on time and cost.

While the cupcakes are baking, mix the pudding according to the directions on the box and place in the refrigerator to set. After the cupcakes have cooled and the pudding is set it’s time to assemble the push pops. You can find the push pop containers most anywhere Wilton products are sold, but if you can’t find them, a small clear jar or glass works fine too.

Now, mix the pudding and the COOL WHIP until smooth and spoon into a bag, you can use either a decorator bag or resealable bag.

And then the fun part, start layering, first cut the chocolate cupcakes into squares and add a couple pieces to the push pop container, pipe in a small amount of the pudding mixture. Continue layering with the vanilla and then strawberry cake, adding pudding in between the layers.

Top with COOL WHIP, and then add a few chocolate and pink sprinkles.  Add a Jet-Puffed Mallow Bite in the Ice Cream Cone shape.

Serve these Neapolitan Cake Push Pops at your next party, take them to a potluck or enjoy a fun weeknight treat with the kids!

For more recipes visit KraftRecipes.com

Disclaimer: I have partnered with Kraft Foods as part of the Kraft Tastemakers Program. Compensation was provided by Kraft. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Kraft.

Welcome back to Cupcake Boot Camp! Wow, it’s Week 5 already! We have covered the basics of baking cupcakes, how to add filling to cupcakes, how to make Candy Clay, How to Decorate Cupcakes with Candy and today with we chatting about How to Frost Cupcakes.

There are endless ways to frost cupcakes. My #1 piece of advice is that it’s important to have the right tools. They don’t cost a lot of money, and they can certainly save you time and aggravation while you are decorating.

My Top Must-Have Tools & Tips

• Disposable decorating bags
• Wilton Decorator Icing – if you are serving cupcakes for a special event; wedding, shower etc. this frosting will give your cupcakes the professional look
• Coupler
• Tip #1M – for swirls and roses
• Tip #2A – for regular piping
• Tip #102 – for flower petals
• Offset Spatula

Tools that are nice to have

• Icing Bag Ties
• Decorating Bag Holder
• Practice Board

Let me show you How to Frost Cupcakes using 2 different methods…

In case you are having trouble seeing the video, you can view it on You Tube as well.

Here are some of the techniques that I have shared in the past for frosting a cupcake…

Rainbow Cupcakes with various techniques

Pink Velvet Cupcakes 

Cherry Almond Cupcakes from Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter

Flower Cupcakes from Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter

Mini Sunflower Cupcakes from Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter

Flower Cupcakes

During Cupcake Book Camp, we will be covering tools, techniques, how to frost cupcakes, candy clay, decorating with candy, filling cupcakes and more! We will also be wrapping up Cupcake Boot Camp with a fabulous giveaway from Wilton worth over $200, Duncan Hines mixes and frostings, candy from Temptation Candy and Cupcakes, Cookies and Pies. oh My! Book.

Week #1: Cupcake Basics

Week #2: How to add filling to a cupcake

Week #3: How to make Candy Clay

Week #4: How to Decorate Cupcakes with Candy

Each of these weeks has a video showing you details, if you are an email subscriber, you may have missed the video, so please pop on over to the blog and check them out!

Disclosure: I was sent Wilton products  for my review. It did not by any means sway my opinion. I love Wilton products and use them every day. There are affiliate links in the post.

Being a child of the 60′s and growing up when many of what we take for granted today for modern conveniences were just coming into the mainstream of society. I can remember my mom battling with her weight issues most of her adult life. Trying everything she could, the tiny scale on the kitchen counter to measure out her tiny portions. The weekly check-ins in front of everyone else that was trying to lose the weight they had gained over the years. It always seemed to be more demoralizing than helpful standing up in front of everyone, they called it “support”.

Nutrisystem is a better way

Nutrisystem has a different way of looking at things, getting healthy not just losing weight is the goal. And you don’t have to commit to a long term contract or anything. Try it for 5 days to see for yourself! Walmart now offers a Nutrisystem 5 Day Weight Loss Kit so you can see for yourself how easy it can be to change your life, maybe even your lifestyle. There’s even a kit especially for developed for those of you with diabetic issues.

It’s all laid out for you, breakfast, lunch, dinner,  even a yummy dessert. It’s not just eating frozen food, it is truly a complete system. They provide the major menu choices and you get to add some of your own choices from their recommended grocery food additions; PowerFuels, SmartCarbs, Vegetables and Extras.

But just because you can purchase these meals at your local Walmart and enroll on-line doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. You get free counseling through Nutrisystem to help you get over the rough patches.

With lots of elbow grease, a few supplies and the better part of two days, even Doug agreed it was worth the time for this DIY Bike Makeover.

Let’s start this journey with a before photo and a little story…

It was our first intention to purchase a new bike for me, but after seeing a Bike Makeover on Pinterest, I just knew I had to find a cool vintage bicycle and give it a new look. The folks at Rust-Oleum and Walmart asked me to work on a project for them, so it was a perfect fit.

First thing was to take the bike completely apart and lay out all the pieces. This is where a cell phone with a camera comes in very handy. Doug was able to take photos of the pieces as he was removing them so it would help him remember how it went back together.

You can see how made the painted parts looked in this before photo.

To paint the front and back pieces, Doug used Rust-Oleum Automobile Primer, White and the new Maui Blue.

After sanding the pieces, Doug hung them up in the garage and gave them a good coat of Rust-Oleum Automobile Primer.

After the back rack was primed, he sprayed the white areas first and then taped off the area for the blue paint with Frog Tape, we love the Delicate Surface tape the best.

To achieve a crisp line he sprayed over the tape again with white paint.

Then for the final coat, he used this new color, Maui Blue Rust-Oleum.

Then it was time to clean all the chrome pieces with Turtle Wax Chrome Polish, #0000 steel wool and a lot of elbow grease.

You can see the huge difference here in this before and after of the chrome pieces.

After all the pieces were cleaned and painted, it was time to paint the basket. We found a small basket to fit in front of the handle bars and a couple leather straps to hold the basket on. Because the bike is old, the standard size bicycle basket wouldn’t fit.

Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2X features breakthrough Double Cover Technology to cover twice the square footage of other general purpose spray paints. The innovative formula contains up to 44% more solids to deliver the ultimate in performance and hiding power in fewer passes, so projects can be completed faster and easier. Just one can of American Accents Ultra Cover 2X performs and covers like two, so do-it-yourselfers need less paint for their projects. This new paint is available now at Walmart for only $3.77 per can.

Doug removed the handle and we gave the basket a good coat of Sun Yellow Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2X. Then it was time to put the bike back together.

I love the vintage look where the bike has the horn and light.

And the back rack turned out amazing.

A new kick stand and chain were added that we found at Walmart in their bike area.

And I just love how the basket turned out, the yellow on the blue looks great.

I’m looking forward to many hours of enjoyment and exercise with my new bike!