DIY Archives - MomStart

How To Have A Successful Cinco De Mayo Party

April 27, 2017 by Momstart 18 Comments

This is a sponsored post with CHI-CHI’S Brand Mexican Foods.

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I’ve partnered with CHI-CHI’S® Brand, the makers of tortillas, chips and legendary salsas, to help you elevate any upcoming gathering into a fun and entertaining fiesta.

To have a great Cinco De Mayo party, you first need to start off with great food. We received samples from CHI-CHI’S® to set up a great products. They sent us four different salsa flavors, a con queso dip, tortillas and chips.

CHI-CHI’S line of salsas includes Verde, Pineapple, Cilantro, and Thick & Chunky varieties, available in Mild, Medium and Hot heat levels.

With CHI-CHI’S® Brand you really don’t have to worry about much. All you need to do is have plenty of bowls out for all the chips and salsa options. They are passionate about gathering through delicious Mexican food and it shows because of how delicious everything is.

CHI-CHI’S Brand also offers tasty tortillas in three varieties, including Burrito Style, Taco Style, and Fajita Style. Low in fat and baked to perfection, CHI-CHI’S tortillas are an easy, delicious way to enjoy burritos, tacos, and wraps.

Each product is made with quality ingredients like real tomatoes, vegetables, and flavorful seasonings. You could get away without making any other food but we like to have a few other things with every party. We put out some sour cream, red peppers, cilantro and mushrooms.

The perfect crowd-pleasing snack, CHI-CHI’S tortilla chips are full of crunch and even better when paired with their salsas. CHI-CHI’S chips contain 0g of trans fat and no preservatives.

We decided to also go to a party supply store and purchased a few decorations because decorations always liven a room up. We didn’t spend much at all. Zoe made this fun video showing you a few ways to make a fun table scape.

Most important thing about setting up is to remember to have fun.

Enjoy the moment, don’t stress about having a party, use Chi-Chi’s Brand products that you can find in mass-market grocers and have a party ready in minutes so you can spend more time enjoying the moment.

What do you have planned for your Cinco De Mayo party?

How To Have a Moana Beach Party #MoanaOnDigital #AD

March 7, 2017 by Momstart 5 Comments

Thanks to our friends at Disney we received a digital copy of Moana and a Beach Party Kit in exchange for our story.

I was lucky enough to see Moana in theaters but because of our crazy schedules I never found the time to take the kids so they hadn’t seen Moana until we had our party. Now I must say we had a lot of fun just getting prepared for our Moana Beach Party. So we decided to share how to have a Moana Beach Party. You’ll have to get a few things together first.

We made a Lemon Pineapple glaze cake…..

We made paper fans from Target.

We also made some little beach bites. (Recipe to come soon)

and our Lava shakes make any party better

We suggest getting flowers and Leis.

We have a video review of different Moana toys that you could get to make your party better.

Zoe was able to share the fun with Pua and Hei Hei. We also decided to go above and beyond and share Pua with a friend who was sad and needed a snuggle buddy. Pua and Hei Hei are great at making people smile and if you watch the movie you’ll see why.

“It’s adorable” …..”what can I say except you’re welcome” #ad Thanks #Disney #moana #movienight #moanaondigital #chromecast #googlechromecast #disneymoviesanywhere

A post shared by Louise Bishop (@momstart) on Mar 5, 2017 at 1:34pm PST

The nice thing about digital is that we can watch Moana on our phone,

on our tablets or stream it over the Google Chromecast that we received from our friends at Disney.

We are hooked on Maui! He’s a fantastic character full of charm and redemption.

Like I mentioned before, this was my kids first time watching Moana. They sat through the entire thing, well they didn’t sit. There were times we were all up dancing and singing as we enjoyed watching Moana on Digital on Disney Movies Anywhere. Of course I have to mention it’s also available today on Blu-ray & Digital HD. And Disney sent us a copy of that too. You can read my full Moana review and see what I loved most about the movie.

Make Quick & Easy Valentine’s With Welch’s

February 8, 2017 by Momstart 18 Comments

We received samples from Welch’s to create this blog post and video.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, Welch’s Fruit Snacks wants to spread the love by challenging you to craft the perfect Valentines in honor of their NEW Valentine’s Day-themed fruit snacks.

Whether you and your children create them for a classroom or just to hand out to the family, we want to show you how easy it is to make a cute little Valentine. All you have to do is write a name on the package of the Welch’s fruit snacks in the To: section and your name in the From: section.

Or you can go all out like Zoe likes to do. Just watch her video (which actually turned out to be a family affair)

She did a great job.

See how the fruit snacks have cute little faces on them.

I had to fight my kids to keep them from eating all of the fruit snacks before we even had a chance to make the Valentines. The kids love fruit snacks.

How To Make Finding Dory Bath Crayons #FindingDory

June 14, 2016 by Momstart 11 Comments

Ellen DeGeneres returns to the sea as Dory, the bright blue tang with a sunny personality. She suffers from short-term memory loss, which normally doesn’t upset her upbeat attitude—until she realizes she’s forgotten something big: her family. Dory’s found a new family in Marlin and Nemo, but she’s haunted by the belief that someone out there is looking for her. She may have trouble recalling exactly what— or who—she’s searching for, but she won’t give up until she uncovers her past and discovers something else along the way: self-acceptance.

In honor of Finding Dory we came up with Dory Bath crayons.

You will need:

Milk based soft soap or Glycerin soap
Yellow Gel Food Dye
Blue Gel Food Dye
Silicone Fish Mold

Directions:

Slice the soap into very thin slices.

Place the soap in a stainless steel bowl, over a boiling pot of water. This will allow the soap to melt slowly, and stay melted while you work with it.

Add the food coloring to the soap, and stir until well combined and melted completely.

Pour the yellow soap into the tail of your mold first. Depending on your mold, you may have to add a bit, let it set, add a bit more, let it set etc., until the tail portion is full.

Once you’ve filled the tail, allow it to cool, then fill the body portion with the melted blue soap.

Allow the molds to set up for at least an hour before removing them from their molds.

Once removed, you can store them in an air tight container until their ready to be used.

Allow kids to use them in the bath to make art on the bathtub/shower walls. Since it’s soap, they just wipe off, leaving no stain residue on the walls!

Finding Dory is in theaters June 17th.

Looking for More Finding Dory party ideas? Below is a collection of some of the best on the web!

FREE Printable FINDING DORY BIRTHDAY PARTY DECORATIONS

Finding Dory Party Treats Jelly/Jello Slice Recipe

Finding Dory Themed Food and Crafts

Hank the Septopus Rice Krispies Treats

Finding Dory Sea Grass Pancake Cupcakes Recipe

Finding Dory Nemo Homemade Playdough

DIY Rescue Dory Game

FINDING DORY COSTUME: HANK THE OCTOPUS

Make a Finding Dory Paper Plate Craft

How To Make Finding Dory Bath Crayons

Finding Dory Rice Krispies Recipe

Finding Dory Hank the Octopus Craft

Finding Dory Cupcakes | Desert Chica

Hank the Septopus DIY Toddler Tee-shirt Iron-On

Finding Dory In Theaters Now

DIY: How To Make Your Own Party Gift Bags

June 1, 2016 by Momstart 3 Comments

What you will need:

Medium sized paper gift bags ($0.97 at Walmart)
Computer paper
Printer
Acrylic paint ($0.50 at Walmart in the craft section)
Foam paint brush
Paper plate
Scissors

Directions:

Step one:

Find a clip art image on Google image search that you like. For the best results, in the image search, click, “search tools”, then click, “size”, then click, “medium.” This should give you the best size option for your gift bags.

Step two:

Print the images you want. Make sure to deselect, “fit to page” so that it prints in the correct size.

Step three:

Cut the images out.

Step four:

Place the cut out image on your gift bag in the center. Put a small amount of acrylic paint on a paper towel or paper plate.

Step five:

Hold the image firmly in place with your fingers, while your sponge the paint around the outside

of the image. Don’t worry about “making mistakes” as it will just make the final product more

unique.

Step six:

Once you’ve sponged paint all around the outside of the image, gently peel the image off, being

careful not to touch the wet paint. Allow to dry for about 15 to 20 minutes before use.

How To Make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pancakes

June 1, 2016 by Momstart 18 Comments

In honor of our favorite ninjas returning to the big screen, we decided to make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for breakfast.

How To Make Ninja Turtle Pancakes

Ingredients:

 Pancake Mix

 Red Icing (Drawing Style)

 White Icing

 Black Icing (Drawing Style)

Directions:

1. Make your pancakes as directed by the pancake mix box.

2. Let them cool.

3. Use the white frosting to make two white ovals for the eyes. Make sure they’re filled in.

4. Next, take the red frosting and draw the outline of a ninja mask and then fill it in.

5. Lastly, use your black frosting and put two black spots within the whites of the eyes and then

draw the mouth.

6. Enjoy!

Home Maintenance: 4 Reasons to Regularly Replace Your AC Filter

April 6, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The filter for your HVAC unit is one of the most important components of the machine, but often the most overlooked. Filters keep your HVAC system running as efficiently as possible with minimal maintenance intervention. New filters can also help improve the air quality in your home. Discover the top four reasons to change your AC filter — and how it can affect your home if you don’t.

Improve Efficiency

While the common perception is that air filters are just for the clarity of your home’s air, the filters also play a huge role in the efficiency of your HVAC system. Filters keep the dirt and bacteria that clog your filter from reaching the rest of your system.

When your filter gets dirty, it can block air flow, which increases your energy bills. The system has to consume more electricity or fuel to maintain the temperature at which you keep your thermostat.

Reduce Maintenance

If the filter in your HVAC unit is dirty, it can make the system work much harder to heat or cool the air. That extra burden on the system can end up wearing down components faster than usual, leading to the need for maintenance to create a well-functioning HVAC unit.

You might also have to replace your HVAC system sooner if you don’t change your air filter. At some point, the cost of repairs and maintenance will outweigh the value of the system. If you want your air conditioner and furnace to last as long as possible, replace your AC filter regularly.

Improve Air Quality

Image via Flickr by Susanne Nilsson

When you have a dirty air filter, your HVAC unit is forcing the air through the debris, which means that all the pollutants and allergens caught on the filter are re-entering the air supply of your home. If you replace the air filter for your unit regularly, this isn’t something you’d have to worry about, but irregular replacements can lead to higher levels of allergens entering your home.

If you regularly replace your filter, the air quality of your home will increase markedly, since the air isn’t being forced through a dirty filter anymore. This can help the overall health of your family, especially during allergen-heavy seasons.

Save Money

If your system isn’t working as hard or breaking down due to overuse, you won’t spend nearly as much money on maintenance. Replacing the filter regularly can not only help you cut down on maintenance costs, but also on electricity bills. Your system will consume less energy, so you’ll benefit each month when your utility statement arrives.

Plus, if you reduce your exposure to allergens in your home, you won’t have to spend as much money on medication. You’ll breathe easier without assistance from allergy medications, which means greater health and a bigger bank account.

The filter on your HVAC unit is an important component that often gets overlooked, but it can end up making all the difference in the efficiency and longevity of your unit, as well as affect the state of your health and budget.

What is the best way to locate a leak in an air mattress?

March 2, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Air mattresses are a popular and affordable form of temporary sleep accommodation for use in the home or while away on camping trips. They are easy to store and transport. One of the problems with using airbeds is that they can develop leaks which mean that they do not stay inflated. Obviously it’s important to fix any such leaks as soon as possible.

We had to use an air mattress for 9 months last year and we sprung a leak and it was hard to keep it fixed so I wanted to share this post with you because you might have the same issue as us!!!

Finding a leak in an air mattress can be as simple as just listening. You may be able to hear where the air is escaping from the mattress. If this is not possible then there are procedures you can follow to try and locate the link as soon as possible.

Checking out the valves

Before starting any examination of the air mattress you will need to remove any bedding as it will obscure your view. You also need to make sure that you conduct the examination in an area where there is plenty of space so you have room to move all around the mattress, and turn it and flip it as required.

Once you have positioned yourself in a location where there is plenty of light you should fill the mattress to its maximum level. Once you have done this the first place you should check is the valve. This is one of the most common places for an air mattress to leak so it makes sense to make it your starting point. If the valve has developed a problem then you probably won’t be able to fix the leak with a patch. If there is no problem with the valve then you will need to check the rest of the mattress.

Using soap to find the leak

Obviously, it is not going to be easy to identify a leak in a whole air mattress. One of the best ways of doing so is to use some dish soap in water. You can spray the soap solution onto the mattress, or you can wipe it on with a cloth or sponge. You need to do this systematically so that you do not miss any areas. It makes sense to start with the areas that are most likely to develop leaks, such as around the seams. If a leak is present then the soap solution will bubble.

Once you have identified where the leak is you need to make sure you mark the area. Remember to use a means of marking that will remain fast in the presence of water. You will not be able to patch the leak until the air mattress is dry so you need to play is somewhere where it will dry easily and not be susceptible to damp.

Hopefully, when you locate the leak in your air mattress, it will be in an area where you can use a patch to fix it and you will not have to buy a new air mattress. After you have patched an air mattress remember to check the patch for any further signs of leaking.

DIY Low Profile Bookshelves Tutorial

January 28, 2016 by Beeb Leave a Comment

The New Year is a perfect time to tackle home improvement projects and try your hand at a little DIY. The Home & Family show on Hallmark Channel is a perfect source for such inspiration, and today they’re sharing a quick and easy tutorial with us on how to add bookshelves to a room – no carpentry skills required!

DIY Low Profile Bookshelves

Tutorial by Ken Wingard. All photos by Jeremy Lee and copyright 2016 Crown Media Family Networks.

Materials:

Double Curtain rod and brackets
Canvas cloth

Steps:

1) Mount rod to walls
2) Cut canvas into long narrow rectangle for the length of the wall and twice the desired depth plus 4″.
3) Sew 2″ picket down each long side.
4) Insert rods and hang.

Click here to watch a video demonstration.

Tune into Home & Family on Hallmark Channel weekdays at 10 am ET/PT.

The Top 10 Best Home Improvement Projects to Add Value

January 9, 2016 by Beeb Leave a Comment

As I’ve mentioned before, Jai and I spent a solid decade renovating this house; and while no home is every truly “Done”, we’ve completed all of the major things on our list. I’ve always known that our hard work has added a lot of value to the home, and it’s gratifying to see that spelled out with this new chart assembled by Sears naming the top 10 home improvement projects with a high return on investment:

This video outlines it in a little more detail:

Have you tackled any of these projects in your home?