Kids Against Bullying
0
I was never a bully, but someone very close to me endured the horrors of bullying everyday; My brother. From the time he first went to Kindergarten until his freshmen years at high school, my brother was a relentless victim of vicious children who saw my his maturity and hyperactivity as a weakness. I remember him flying through the doors some afternoons, in hysterics, donning a newly given black eye, or split lip. As a big sister, it broke my heart. Despite our age difference, he was my partner in crime, and anyone who laid a finger on him felt my wrath. But that begs the question; Do we have to fight bullying with bullying?
When I think back to when my little brother was hanging out with me, with all my friends who were high school seniors, it was my friends, who were children themselves, who were more instrumental in railroading bullies when they tried to terrorize my brother. The adults were so worried about being politically correcting, and handling issues with kid gloves that I never thought that bullies got the message. Children naturally push back against authority. Unless you’re me, who grew up in a military household that left little room for rebellious acts, you will most likely spend your entire adolescence trying to twist and bend the rules in your favour. So it never made sense to me that an adult would effective in curbing bullying.
The school yard is much like an African plain. There are hunters and there is prey. Its survival of the fittest. Whether you’re
just trying to fit in with the right clique, or trying to impress others, or trying to keep from being repeatedly attacked by those that are bigger and stronger than you, there is hierarchy that children seem to unknowingly follow. There is always a leader, and there are a number of followers. And though the same can be said for the adult world, children are not emotionally equipped to deal with cruelty the same way that adults are. They mimic adult behaviour they may be exposed to at home, and then bring it to the school yard. Children are not born bullies, they are shaped by their environment. There are of course factors that can contribute to violence in children, like certain brain dysfunctions, but nurturing a child is the best way to ensure they don’t become a terror on the playground and in the classroom.
So how to we prepare our children for bullies? Well first, you enlist the help of older children. You don’t have to go all Lord of the Flies and expect them to govern themselves, but I think that making them aware that they have a certain responsibility as fellow human beings to help those who are in need. Educate your older children about why children get bullied. Point out to them that just because someone cries, or feels sensitive about certain things, does not mean that it’s okay for them to be picked on. In fact, it’s just plain unacceptable. Celebrate differences with your children, and ensure they don’t focus on them. A different skin color, different type of clothing, or different religion is never a reason to push someone around. In fact, it’s the perfect time to alliance yourself with them. Being ignorant isn’t cool!
Enlist your children to take on the buddy system. It’s as old as time, but just as effective. If your child sees someone that’s repeatedly getting picked, ask your child to help create a safe environment for that bullied kid. Everyone deserves to be happy and safe!
Bring Your Kid to Work
0
How many times have you yelled at your kids, exasperated, “when you start paying the bills around here, you can start making your own decisions!”. I know I heard it a time or two growing up, and I didn’t really have a good grasp on what it meant for my parent to go out and earn a living, tirelessly, every single day. That is, until my dad took me to work one day when I was ten years old, in an effort to teach me about the importance of having a dedicated work ethic. Looking back, ten years old may have been a bit young for most kids, but I was fairly mature for my age.
I had a pretty unique upbringing. Both of my parents had the coolest jobs! My mother worked in forensic science, and my father was a soldier in the Canadian infantry. Because I was too young to go traipsing around a forensic lab, my parents both decided that spending the day with Dad on the army base, was where I would get my first work experience. Because our family actually lived on the military base, dad’s office was a short walk from our friend door. I set out with my lunch bag in hand, and GI Joe backpack, strapped to my back, and my notebook in hand. I was excited.
We arrived at the gates of the my dad’s work, at 8:00am sharp. My dad spoke briefly with the gatekeeper, a young man who’s shoes were so shiny, I could see my face in them. Over the course of the day, I watched my dad lead a platoon of young soldiers around the parade square, teach several classes to new recruits about life in the military, and the importance of civic responsibility, and most importantly, the role that the Canadian military plays in the international community. Some of it was a little over my head, being ten and all, but what I did understand, was that my dad spent his days teaching other people how important it was to treat other’s with respect and dignity, and that the Canadian people were dedicated to spreading peace around the world.
My dad’s job was a pretty noble one, and it sounds all glamourous, but anyone who grew up in a military family understands, that it’s anything but glamourous. Missed birthdays, missed graduations, missed births, and missed holidays are all part of living in a dynamic where one parent serves their country. I gained a deep appreciation for what my father did, and I grew not only admiring his work ethic, but adopting it. I doesn’t matter if a you’re a soldier in the military or a receptionist at a hair salon, if it’s possible, bringing your child to work can be one of the most invaluable experience you can ever provide them with. And who knows, they might even have fun!
Attracting ‘Generation Now’ to Your Organization
0
It is an undeniable fact that our youth are shaping and molding the world into a form that suits their needs. They are intelligent, adaptable, curious but in many cases, rather unmotivated. Our Western youth live in an environment where we’ve given them everything, rather than challenge them. They live in a world that tells them they deserve the best of everything. The best phone, the best clothes, the opportunity to attend the best online universities, the best car, the best, the best, the best! So as an organization, how do you walk that fine line between maintaining your integrity, yet inspiring youth to take up your cause, and spend a little less time on themselves and a little more time on the rest of the world? There are a number of steps you need to take, and a series of questions you need to ask yourselves as an organization.
How Flexible is Your Volunteer Program for Youth?
A teen’s schedule can be hectic, and in the real world, if they were an adult, they would need a handful of personal assistants to manage them. In the teen world, they have Mom! If you want youth to be a part of your organization, you need to be able to offer opportunities that work around their schedule. After-school volunteer opportunities, activities that incorporate their various social activities.
What’s in it for Them?
Let’s not kid ourselves, we’d all like to think that teens volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts, but that just isn’t reality in most cases! Does your organization offer incentive programs for success? For example, if someone meets or exceeds a fundraising target, do you give them a gift, or reward of some sort? There’s nothing wrong with creating a little competition, in fact, competition can bring out the best in all of us. Give them something to work towards, and watch them shine!
Do You Provide a Variety of Opportunities to get Youth Involved?
In order to make your organization attractive to the younger generation, it’s important to understand how to hold their interest. Assigning them mundane tasks that repeat over and over is the fastest way to lose credibility. If you are putting on a community event, give your youth volunteers several different tasks. It’s also beneficial to reward those volunteers who have taken initiative and stood out.
Are You Providing Valuable Skills a Youth Can Carry With Them?
Volunteering with an organization is an excellent way for a young person to start building a resume. Since at the tender age of 12 or 13, they are too young to legally get a paying job, so volunteering with an organization should not only teach them the importance of charity and selflessness, but it should also provide them with an arsenal of valuable skills to enter into the working world with.
Youth Programs with Habitat for Humanity
0
There are any number of youth programs around the country that encourage pre-teens and adolescents, but did you know that there are structured volunteer programs available for children as young as 5 years old! Volunteering is an incredibly rewarding experience, and as far as I’m concerned, there is no such thing as teaching a child about the importance of committing once’s time to another too early. When I was little, my father, a Canadian Peacekeeper, would spend months and months at a time away, in developing countries all over the world. And when he came home, he would fundraise feverishly, in an effort to give back to those same war torn communities that in spite of their own misery, welcomed peacekeeping soldiers with open arms. By the time I was 7, I had helped my father with eight different clothing drives for communities in the Ukraine, Cyprus, Yugoslavia (when it existed) and several more. And I 
thank him to this day, for making me see the value in helping others.
Habitat for Humanity has four main youth age groups that it operates. In the first age group, Habitat focusses on using games and learning tools to help introduce them to other children from other international communities. In the next two age groups, the Habitat Street Team and the T2′s, have a far more physical presence within the organization. Youth are encouraged to advocated for Habitat, help fundraise, participate in youth conferences around the world and act as ambassadors.
In my own city, there are about 4000 people living on the streets. And sadly, of those 4000 people, and estimated 80% of those indiv
iduals are fighting some sort of substance abuse and addiction, which naturally makes it far more difficult to get individuals off the street. The incidence of child poverty and homelessness in the United States is the highest it’s ever been since the countries inception. With the increase of natural disasters (Hurricane
Katrina) and an ongoing mortgage crisis, homelessness in America is becoming everyone’s issue, and if we begin teaching our children at a young age to recognized the importance of having a safe secure roof over their head, they’ll be the catalysts for change in the future.
The Importance of Child Mentoring
0
Growing up in the military, the ‘ol saying, it takes a village to raise a child could not have been more true. I had the gift of being surrounded by a loving and supportive community. From wonderful teachers at school, to caring neighbours, it was a healthy, happy environment. But not every child had that opportunity. And as I grew up and watched children around me who didn’t have father’s, mother’s, or siblings to look up to, they struggled to find themselves, struggled to find their place in the world.
When I was in college, a good friend of mine, a child psychologist, did her masters thesis on the effects of mentoring at risk children, versus none, and her findings were not only astounding, they were frightening. Those who didn’t have guidance fell prey to drugs, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, the list goes on. And those who spend a few afternoons a week with someone they could share their day with, were not only given a fighting chance, more often than not, they succeeded at school, were more likely to participate in sports and were more likely to say no to drugs and alcohol at an early age.
If you have always felt the need to help, why not invest your time with the most impressionable and important little resources that we have, children? It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, but it is one that we should all consider if we have any hope of solving our youth problems.
There are any number of programs out there that provide adults the opportunity to mentor children and youth. Big Brother and Big Sister is an excellent program who’s vision is to “provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.” The application process is rigorous, but when you’re dealing with children, it needs to be! And once you’ve passed the initial test of being a mentor, the real work begins.
Building trust with your child or youth, will take a significant amount of time. So you have to be patient. This child might have experienced some sort of loss in their life. They may have been abandoned by a parent, or abused, or maybe they just have a really hard time making friends, whatever the reason they are in the program, they need to be able to trust you. Everything else will come with time.
Carve some time out of your busy week to do some good. Mentoring a child is not only a fulfilling experience, but you will be responsible for changing the face of a generation.
The Importance of Teen Volunteering
0
I grew up with two parents who both served in the military. One stayed home and worked in the officers mess, while the other spent long spells away from home on exercise, training in Northern Canada, or overseas on Peacekeeping missions. My sibling and I were instilled with a strict moral code and told not to treat anyone with anything less than the utmost respect unless they had done something to hurt us, and than, we were to remove ourselves from the situation until we were old enough to formulate thoughtful opinions. If someone had less than us, if they needed something, within reason, it was our humanly duty to help them.
Teenagers are an inherently selfish and self-absorbed species of human. Everything small thing that doesn’t go their way is often magnified by unstable emotions and hormone-fed theatrics. And though parents may pull their hair out at their teens inability to look past their own nose, realistically, it’s the only time in life we’re really allowed to be consciously selfish. Once we hit adulthood, we have a myriad of responsibilities that require more of us than obsessing over the reflection in the mirror. A great way to teach your teen or young adult that being selfish does little more than serve short-sighted goals, is through volunteering, where the lessons are so invaluable you couldn’t possibly put a price on the outcome.
Encouraging our youth to v
olunteer and engage their local community, has several benefits for both the youth and those they help. Volunteering with an organization helps a youth feel useful, and their contributions will serve them to feel confident and self-assured. If your youth is working in a situation where those being helped are less fortunate, it gives the youth a health dose of perspective, and helps them to appreciate what, instead of continuing to focus on what they don’t have. It also teaches them how to be patient, cooperative and how to be a part of a team, all invaluable lessons that are too often learned far too late in life. For at risk youth, being involved in an organization that gives back can be a matter of saving their life, rather than sending them out onto the street to fend for themselves. Working in a homeless shelter, a helping individuals who’ve lost everything due to a drug habit, is a surefire way to show an at risk youth that their life needs to head in another direction, and fast!
Air Cadets Changed My Life
0
I was a good teen, in fact, when I look at youth today, in the eyes of most parents, I was the exception and not the rule. I was quiet, respectable, did my homework (for the most part), and never touched drugs or alcohol. That isn’t to say that the temptation wasn’t there. Navigating adolescence was a bit of a minefield. The girls were having sex before the seventh grade, the guys were binge drinking in the eighth grade, and by the twelfth grade cocaine, ecstasy, and mushrooms were making their around my history class. I didn’t grow up in Compton, I grew up in a upper middle class, suburban neighborhood, and my school was considered one of the best in the city, yet still, these were some of the toxic disasters that I was exposed to as a young woman. Luckily I had a set of attentive parents, and coupled with my stubborn resolve and unwillingness to fall prey to the will of the mob, I survived relatively unscathed. Not all teens are so lucky. Many are lost to drugs, lost to booze, drop out of school, or start making babies before they’re able to read at an eighth grade reading level.
My parents divorced when I was 10, and they became concerned that as I inched toward adolescence, there was a possibility that I would act out on my despair by getting into trouble. They catapulted themselves into an exhaustive hunt to find a series of activities that would keep me so preoccupied, I wouldn’t have time to even think about getting into trouble. They both settled on one program, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. My father was a peacekeeper in the Canadian Armed Forces, and my mother had worked for the military when I was little, so naturally, this was an appropriate suggestion for me, but I wasn’t so sure. I was 11 years old when I went to my first parade (the standard entry age is 12, but my squadron was desperate for numbers). I was the youngest, the shortest, and the only girl, amidst a squadron of boys and young men. I was one of the most intimidating moments of my life, but little did I know that this Squadron was going to become my brotherhood of sorts, and I was going to have to most incredible experiences of my young life.
From the time I was
11 until I was 17 years old, my summers were spent romping around in the Canadian wilderness, learning survival skills; learning to fly ultralights and small aircraft; attending leadership conferences and learning how to become a better citizen. Whenever I would return to school in the fall, and in homeroom the teacher would ask us what we did for the summer, I would nonchalantly mention that I spent the summer inside the air traffic control tower at Pearson Airport, jaws would drop. Popping a bunch of pills and getting wasted at a house party just didn’t seem as exciting as chatting with a real-live F-18 pilot. The best part of it all, it didn’t cost my parents a dime! The Air, Army and Sea Cadets are all government sponsored programs, and they provide the funding for camps, training sessions and weekly meetings, even your uniform is free! If you really excel at being a cadet, there are a series of scholarships for college students. Being an Air Cadet provided me with a sense of pride, boosted my self confidence and kept me so preoccupied, that the angst of being teenager had a silver lining.
Brighten Up Your Dorm Room.
0When you move into your dorm room you are probably going to want to personalize it a bit. Even if you are sharing with someone else you still want a little corner that is going to feel like home.
Buy a lot of photo frames and put pictures of your family and friends in them. Dot them all around your room. If you can’t afford photo frames, or just don’t want one, then you can just stick photos to the wall with blu-tack.
Buy some candles. The have a good ambiance and also heat a room up very quickly. You can buy scented candles too. That way your room will smell and look great.
Keep it de-cluttered. There is a difference between personalization and distracting clutter. You need to be able to concentrate when you are studying and relax too.
Buy some nice cushions. Some bright, comfy cushions dotted around the room will add a lot. Practical and pretty.
Buy a map. Maps are great and educational. Have one up on your wall and dream of all of the places you want to go.
Plants are great. Though if you have a tendency to kill plants you may want to skip this one. Your windowsill would be a great place to have a plant. Or put books on your windowsill instead.
You could also buy some great lamps. Pretty functional. Get one in a bright color.
You will, of course, have your own duvet cover and pillow cases. Get it in your favorite color. If you are feeling flush, get some nice curtains too. Remember to keep the old ones so you can replace them when you leave.
Other things you can buy are a radio. Studying while listening to the radio is much more fun.
This blog has lots of great DIY projects for your dorm room. Including some great tips you will really love if you are training for a forensic psychology career.
Have fun!
Storage Solutions For Students.
1
When you move into your college room, whether it be a house share or student digs, you are probably going to have a problem with space, where to put things? It is your first time away from home so you may not have the low-down on home improvement, I know I didn’t. So, you are going to need somewhere to put all the stuff you accumulate, right? Here is the answer: cheap storage.
You can buy very cheap storage, keep things in shoe boxes, put up shelves, have hanging racks.
Putting up shelves is relatively easy when you get the hang of it. This article shows you how to put up shelves. You can stack shelves for extra room. The first time I put up shelves I felt amazing afterwards.
Storage drawers can be really handy. They are good to be put in a hanging rack, but even taken out can be put on top of wardrobes or under the bed.
Under the bed is a storage solution you should take advantage of. You can buy great stuff from Ikea that only cost a few pounds, or that great place for bargains; Ebay. Don’t just shove things under the bed. You are not ten anymore. It will look awful and ruin your stuff.
Boxes that stack up on top of each other are a brilliant idea too. Do what property developers are having to do because they are running out of land: build upwards.
Hanging racks are good for clothes when you can’t afford a wardrobe, or if you just don’t have the room. You can get hanging shoe racks too.
You can also keep your shoes in their boxes and take a polaroid of the shoes that are inside for easy access.
Don’t leave anything empty if you are really having a problem with storage. Fill suitcases up and anything else you can think of. Make sure everything has it’s place. It will be easier to get things done if you are not drowning in clutter. You could also put on your biggest smile and ask your parents to keep some stuff in their attic or your old bedroom.
Another option is renting storage. Storage places are huge now so you should be able to get one for a reasonable price due to the competition.
Revamp With Nothing New
0After reading this post’s title, you’re probably thinking, “IMPOSSIBLE!” But it really is possible! Yes. Possible! Speaking from experience, of course.
Last night I was laying in bed, and 3am rolls around and I am still not sleeping. I mean, you can only toss and turn for so many hours before you completely give up and get up. For me, I come up with the best ideas when I am laying down, reading to fall asleep. Maybe that’s why I always have such a problem falling to sleep. It’s like my body is trying to shut down, but my creative side is just waking up. This happens every. single. time.
Sorry, I am tired. Go figure.
After eating carrots and dip in bed with my puppy, I tried to fall asleep again. FAIL. After my head came up with a new book idea, fashion brand and “to do” list, I decided to revamp my room. Yes, at 4am in the morning, I decided to revamp my room. Who does this, I know! I DO!
Of course, at 4am, what stores are open, right? I think even Walmart is closed by this time. I’m pretty sure the whole continent is sleeping… except for me. However, with my creative juices flowing as they do every late hour, I decided that I didn’t need anything new to revamp a space.
All you have to do is move the furniture around. Sounds simply, right? Simply when your room mate isn’t fast asleep in the room beside you maybe. I moved my bed, desk, book shelves and a bunch of other stuff all by myself, and as quiet as a mouse if I must say so myself.
AND I LOVE MY NEW SPACE. It’s like a brand new room. It’s crazy how just moving a few things from here to there and turning this and angling that can really change a look.
As soon as I was finished, I fell right asleep. It’s almost like my subconscious was like, ‘YOU NEED A CHANGE!’
and now I have it!
Try it for yourself. You don’t have to move EVERYTHING, but even just changing the angle of your bed, or the wall that it is on can make a great difference.
Revamp The Light
0Nice looking lamps can be extremely expensive, especially when you’re a student on a budget! The last thing you want is to have a tiny dorm room, filled with ugly, previously-owned things. Can you imagine? Well, I’m sure you can because if you’re reading this post, you are obviously looking for Do It Yourself ideas to revamp your space! Or you could have a friend that has extremely bad taste and their room needs a total makeover and non of you are interior designers. Either way, I’m sure we can admit that some things that we own suck… and need to be prettier.
It’s okay. Go on…. you can admit it.
Lights and lighting is really important when it comes to room decor so we might as well tackle this bad boy first. I honestly had a lamp shade that was seriously from the 70′s. Shag and all… I know… it was bad. Luckily, my little creative light bulb (ha! get it… light bulb… and we’re talking about lights!) went off in my head and I grabbed some things from around my home and decorated the lamp to my liking.
Sometimes it can be better to go and buy a plain lamp shade and decorate that. If you have a shaggy lamp shade like I did, you kind of have no choice. I mean, what are you going to do… shave the lamp? Unlikely. Plus, you can get a plain, boring shade for cheap. Then you can go nuts and decorate it to make it all pretty.
Another option is just getting the frame of a lamp shade. It’s possible, trust me! I had no idea either!
However, if you just want a quick fix for that nasty, old and ugly lamp that is shamelessly hiding in the corner of your room, grab ribbons, fabrics and even paint… and go nuts! Just make sure it’s not some antique that you Mom let you “borrow” for college and has full intentions on it being returned in mint condition. Oh boy. Could you imagine?
Let me know what your lamp looks like…. before and after!
DIY BEER PONG
0Don’t lie… you’ve played beer pong. If you haven’t… what are you living under… “a rock”. Okay, I seriously can’t believe I said that because I really hate that saying, but I’m sure you get what I mean. Almost everyone, especially if you’re a student, has played beer pong. I mean, you don’t even have to be going to college to get into this game… high schoolers (…legal…ones…) play this game all the time! It really doesn’t matter if you’re living in your parents basement while you’re completeing your master degree online, going to the party-central college or… well, being a “responsible” high school student… you can and probably do love this game.
BEER PONG!
I mean, even Mitch in Old School plays this game. It’s just the all-time party go-to and it really isn’t beer pong if you go out and buy a nice, new, fancy beer pong set. The game is all about using what you have and getting a foolish game started! It’s all about the dirt on the pong ball that is getting dunked into your cup moments before you chug it back. It is a college game after all, and we all know students are always the cleanest… just being honest!
All you need is a flat table, long enough for a typical pong game, and plastic cups – preferably red ones to keep the game traditional. I do not suggest using your mom’s expensive glass dining room table. You definitely want to have a table that is ready to get spilt all over and mucked right up.
The perfect table is skinny and long. You can get these at your local hardware store, or even in the classified section of your news paper. They are super inexpensive… for a reason, and no… they aren’t called a “beer pong” table. Remember, we are trying to avoid buying a fancy set. It’s simply a long, crappy, skinny table that you don’t care how messed up it gets.
Then cups. Red, plastic cups! You can get those anywhere!
There you have it! Your own beer pong table.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
0Christmas is right around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you are too stubborn to go pay for already-made Christmas cards that people are going to go and throw out. Let’s be serious here. Do you keep your Christmas cards when they are completely impersonal and have absolutely nothing in them other than the standard, “HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS. LOVE, MOM“. If you do… you’re a hoarder. I’m just kidding… but seriously. 
However, I like to give cards! Not only do I refuse to send impersonal crap, I refuse to spend money on impersonal crap. I do love spending money and making some crafts though. Oh yeah… that’s the transition I’m using into my craft idea. Just go with it!
So, I am obsessed with this site that is completely free, or you can pay $25 a year to get a whole lot more amazing-ness, which I highly recommend doing. It is the fabulous website, PICNIK! I know that I have talked about this before, but it is so amazing… and I haven’t talked about this part of it.
They have a collage option where not only can you create funky holiday-inspired collages, but you can also create cards and such. Add some sprinkle of snow, a dazzle of sparkle, print, cut, and wham! You have yourself a personal Christmas card that the recipient won’t throw out because it is so fabulous.
Now of course, you can make your Christmas cards from scratch with materials from the craft store, but if you’re anything like me, you can let the computer do the hard stuff. I seriously only got the hint that I was completely unable to draw anything when my tattoo artist dream was crushed when they told me that I sucked at drawing stick people. Seriously, what was I thinking? First of all, who can’t draw stick people… aside from me and who goes into a tattoo job application drawing stick people? Okay, it was a weird phase in my life, I will admit.
So long story short, I suck at drawing, so I use this program to make the pretty stuff for me! These pictures honestly took me two seconds. Imagine if you had patience (in which I lack), how amazing this stuff could really be!?
Do it yourself VS Sneaky room mate
1Do you think you have a sneaky roommate that is getting up in your stuff? Stealing your clothes, makeup or even just rummaging through your personal belongings? Well that sucks! However, there is a solution that you can do all by yourself to catch them in the act.
Once you have proof, then you can take the proper actions towards addressing them or getting them removed from your dorm. Also, you don’t even need a software engineering degree to get all CSI on your sneaky roommate.
This is definitely my favourite, and it just happens that I lucked out with my roommate who totally respects my privacy and space, but this is still an extremely fun App to have. If you don’t have a Playbook, you should definitely go get one because they are on sale $300 off! You really can’t go wrong! Once you have one, download the free app called Private Eye. What it does is records while you’re gone, so you just set up your Playbook and it records to a website. I like to use it as a “live” show of my life. It just records and records, so you can use it for anything really. You can give people the link to view your show live, or keep it just for yourself.
Of course, I understand that not everyone wants a Playbook and you’re surely not going to go and buy one just for the Private Eye app. And that’s why there is another alternative in which you probably don’t even have to make a purchase for, because you most likely already have everything you need.
If you’re a student, chances are that you have a laptop, and almost every laptop now a days comes with a built in Webcam. It’s called Highlight Cam and it is a free download that goes right onto your computer. Plus, it’s completely silent and if you are using this to catch someone getting sneaky in your business, they’ll never know that you are secretly recording! It’s like your own silent security guard! It also offers motion alert notifications which are sent to your email, and off-site back up in case your computer gets taken. Oh lord, not only do you have a sneaky roommate but a thieving intruder?
And there you have it. Whether you are trying to catch a sneaky roommate, record your life live or using it as your own security guard, these two are the best of the best security cameras that cost next to nothing!
Good luck!
Avoid The Police Mob… Cyber Monday Crafts!
0This is going to be a little different from my usual posts. That’s correct, I am not going to be Bossy-bart and tell you how to make something, this week. HA! But I am going to tell you that this is the best week to get all your DIY crafts materials and absolutely anything else you will ever need to live a crafty life!
That’s correct! I am talking about BLACK FRIDAY.
…I think I just heard a million people scream with frustration from all the lines and crowds that will be killing our breathing space. Relax ladies and gents, I have it under control.
How about we do our artsy, crafty Black Friday shopping online? I know… I’m a smart cookie! It took me a whole week to figure this idea out. And I run an idea blog… figure that one out! But seriously, there’s this thing online called Cyber Monday. However, I hate calling it cyber Monday because most of these companies already have their deals on. So yes, we get the Black Friday deals but get to avoid the massive lines and riots and rampages that are inevitable. I mean, what does a police officer do on Black Friday? They can’t start pepper spraying people when things get crazy… although I’m sure we can all agree that they should!
But heck, what do we care, because we won’t be there! We will be in our PJ’s after a nice long sleep, online shopping for all our DO IT YOURSELF craft ideas. And aside from just crafty materials, you can get everything else! Genius, I know. Again, I’m a smart cookie.
I’m sure some of my readers out there are a little spacey like me and haven’t thought of getting our shopping done online for some Black Friday deals… and for those readers, this post is for you!
Let me know what kind of stuff you get!!
Home-Made Money Saver
0This is probably the easiest craft that will ever appear on this blog. I know you’ve made one of these before, you at least have thought about it. Why not just follow through with your amazing, nifty ideas?
We all could save a little bit of money, right? I mean, it couldn’t hurt! And I’m sure we have all thrown out jars, cans, boxes – anything that can hold a fairly heavy load. Now that I said “load” you’re probably confused.
There are so many amazing ways to make our own piggy banks. And no, we don’t need to be 5 years old and we definitely don’t need to go out and buy fancy dancy ones because what’s better then a personalized, self-created piggy bank? Absolutely nothing.
I like to put all my change from every day, whether it be $0.02 or $2 and you will be amazed at how much is in there at the end of the week, month or even year. I figure, the more piggy banks that we have, the longer we can continue filling them up without having to empty them. And if you’re like me, once it’s time to empty them, you usually indulge in a shopping trip. I mean seriously, you can have a medical assistant salary in that piggy bank of yours just from putting away the spare change that you have left over each and every day!
Wait! So am I really saving if I just spend it all later anyway? Well, I’m going to give my satisfaction and say yes! I am saving! If I didn’t put that looney, or penny in the jar on Tuesday, I surely wouldn’t have it on Wednesday. It’s true.
There are a million things that you can make a piggy bank out of. The most common being Maison jars, or cans – glass cans are usually best, but wouldn’t that just be a Maison jar then? Who knows. The best of the best piggy banks let you put money in, and not take it out until you’re ready to smash the bad boy.
I do highly suggest expanding your creative side and finding unique things to make piggy banks out of. And decorate! just because you popped a coin slot in the top of a big bottle doesn’t mean you just made yourself a piggy bank. Well, I guess you did! But you want to really make it. Paint it. Decorate it. Put stickers on it. Ribbon. Bows! The list is endless! At least then you can put it out as a decoration! Plus, it’s always better when people don’t know it’s a piggy bank because then you won’t get robbed!
I’m thinking ahead of the game!
Let me know what your home-made piggy banks look like! I’m excited!
Friendship Bracelets
0As per my previous post, Gimp can be a little difficult to work with because it is thicker, wider and plastic. If you are finding that you are having difficulty with these type of bracelets or you do not like the design of them, you can always try the typical friendship bracelets. Unlike gimp crafts, you do not need to take an online course to try and learn how to do these bracelets. Gimp is much more difficult, so if you aren’t very crafty or patient, I’d say give these a try!
To be completely honest with you, there is a lot more variety with these bracelets. You can do a lot more, and because you are using embroidery rope instead of plastic gimp, the strings are thin enough for you to incorporate beads into your bracelet as well.
I love doing friendship bracelets because they are uni-sex. It’s not too girly for your boyfriend or brother to wear, and it’s extremely cute for your best girlfriend or even your mom. They’re perfect for anyone and that is why I love them.
There are tons of sites that offer some guidelines to do these, and if all else fails you can always just braid the ropes together and it’ll still be gorgeous. There are tons of sites that you can use! I remember going to summer camp and I would wipe these up like there was nothing to it. However, 15-20 years later, I had no idea what I was trying to do – so these sites were excellent refreshers!
Honestly WTF - absolutely hilarious because I think I said wtf a million times trying to refresh myself without any help!
Youtube – great if you’re a visual learner
Once you have that little reminder of how to do these, you will be off to a wild start! Remember, DIY crafts are supposed to be fun, right?