Today's Obsessions

10 Easy Ways to Raise Money for Your School …

Posted: 13 May 2010 11:02 AM PDT

It seems that school budgets keep getting smaller and smaller as the states cut back on their education budgets. Lots of parents are getting involved, helping their neighborhood schools to raise money for things like field trips, guest speakers, books for the library, and more! Here are some easy ways we’ve found to raise money for your school! Some of these are one-time fundraisers for your school, and some are ongoing projects… and all of them are easy!

1. Box Tops for Education

Photo Credit: ladybugbkt
Is there anything better than free money for your school? This program is so easy, it’s a wonder every school in the nation isn’t participating. Parents and teachers just look for the little coupons on grocery items they buy every week, from Nature Valley granola bars to cold cereal to juice! Tear off the coupons, bring them to school, then the school ships them in for cold hard cash!

2. Campbell’s Soup Labels

Photo Credit: StevenBrisson
This program works very much like the Box Tops. Simply remove the coupon part of the label, save them up in a pile, then take them to school. The school can trade them in for cash, or they can cash them in for library books, gym equipment, and art supplies.

3. Bottle return

Photo Credit: Aine D
Here in Michigan, there’s a ten-cent deposit on bottles of any juice, soda, water, or alcohol with carbonation. The store charges you the deposit up front, then you save the bottles and return them for the cash. Send home a flyer asking parents to send in their empties (rinsed out, of course!) and then have the student council sort them and take them back. At a dime apiece, the total cash will add up quickly!

7 Laundry Tips …

Posted: 13 May 2010 10:41 AM PDT

Every now and then, something comes along that we just can’t live with out. Like chocolate, designer shoes, fashionable hand bags, and designer clothes. And with those fabulous clothes, come dirty clothes! Here are some awesome laundry tips you just have to follow!

_laundry-tips

Photo Credit: agilitynut

1. Know your machine

Photo Credit: Dave G Kelly
Load the washer, and dryer, correctly. If you have a big load, don’t be tempted to stuff them all in at the same time. Cramming your machines to full only depletes its ability to agitate and clean properly.

2. Use the right water temperature

Photo Credit: JKönig
Don’t wash darks in hot water and most whites need hot water, unless they are cotton. Wrong temperature settings on both the washer and dryer will result in distorted, shrunken, and new weirdly-colored garments.

3. Treat stains as soon as you can

Photo Credit: Beefus
And here’s a little tip for removing blood. If you are not able to wash the blood out right away, let it dry completely. Add liquid soap to the DRY stain, and let the soap dry. Let it sit over night, then wet, and scrub blood away. This works. I do it all the time!

8 Sexiest Swimsuits …

Posted: 13 May 2010 03:26 AM PDT

We all have one thing in mind for the summer and that is swimsuits. Each year, we set out to find the best swimsuit. You know, the one that will look the sexiest on us and fit our bodies just fine. Here are my favorites for this summer. I have to admit, some of them may be a bit too revealing and aren't for the faint hearted.

8. Collar Tie Front Bikini

Price: $86.00 at sexyswimwear.com
This is a bikini with a halter style top that consists of a unique collar that makes it look adorably retro. Denim is huge these days and that’s exactly what the bottom is made of. The top ties in the front and the bottoms tie at the sides. The straps tie in back of neck and the back. They are all adjustable.

7. Shredded Swerve One-piece

Price: $109.00 at sexyswimwear.com
This is a sexy one piece swimsuit that has a torn, weaving technique that gives a sexy, peek-a-boo effect. The straps can be adjusted and they tie in the back. I am not a sucker for one pieces, but this one is actually sexy!

6. Lacey Wrap Monosling

Price: $86.00 at sexyswimwear.com
Again, I'm not big on one pieces, but this one is so sexy! The slingshot style wraps around the body revealing a dramatic plunging effect. The fabric top is lace. The top ties behind the neck and yes, it is adjustable. Of course, it would help if you had toned legs, perfect abs and a great derriere for this one.

7 Ways to Wear Glam Tie Dye …

Posted: 13 May 2010 02:02 AM PDT

Okay, so I didn't expect to ever wear tie-dye. I missed the 80's trend, and always thought it was one of those trends which was never coming back. It looks like I was wrong! From celebrities to designers, the glam tie dye look is everywhere at the moment, and there's certainly no avoiding it! I've been hunting out the best looks and here are my top 7 ways to get the look…

1. Philip Treacy Tie Dye Beret

Price: $172 at asos.com
Not feeling brave enough to invest in a full tie dye outfit? This beret looks chic and retro, featuring soft neutral colours and a cute charm pendant. Pair it with a neutral blazer and look chic! This really is an effortless way to try this look. My friend owns this, and I've been stealing it all week… you wouldn't believe the compliments I've had!

2. RingSpun Contrast Tipped Ombre Tunic

Price: $136 at asos.com
This is one trend I was a bit shy about trying but the dipped tie dye effect of this dress looked so good that I had to try it! Surprisingly, it looks very chic and everyone has told me how great it is. I've been a walking advert for tie dye! This dress doesn't need much help to glam it up, so keep your legs bare, wear black heels and rock the natural look. Stunning!

3. Pepe Jeans Rainbow Smocked Dress

Price: $153 at asos.com
Celebs seem to love this Pepe Jeans dress, which features a stripy tie-dye effect in bright colours. It's fairly shapeless left alone, but a great belt around the middle gives it a more distinct shape and jeweled heels finish the look! It's made of soft jersey which feels divine on the skin and I love the embellished neckline and hem.

10 Tastiest Teas …

Posted: 13 May 2010 12:27 AM PDT

I’m certainly not a tea snob, but for generations, the women in my family have been ardent tea lovers. We can trace our roots back through the female line to the Otleys of ancient Wales, and I’m sure even back then, our women were great tea drinkers. They’d be ashamed of me, I’m sure, since I drink bagged tea but believe it or not, there are lots and lots of tasty teas that are bagged! Here’s my list of the ten tastiest teas, ancient family line or tea lovers or not!

1. Mount of Olives Earl Grey with Pomegranate

Price: $3.79 at sweetgourmet.com
Earl Grey tea is my favorite, so I was excited to try this when I found it in a local gourmet food shop. It’s tasty, but it’s not what I expected from an Earl Grey — it’s just not as aromatic as other Earl Greys. Still, it is very ,very good tea, especially with just a little honey…

2. Tazo Earl Grey Tea

Price: $9.90 at cooking.com
Ah! this is my very favorite tea, a true Earl Grey. Th flavor and scent of the traditional bergamot is strong, but not overpowering. I love that you can actually SEE the tea and spices inside the generously-sized tea bag… avoid drinking this at night, though, since it is a black tea, with quite a bit of caffeine, especially if you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep.

3. Tazo Zen

Price: $4.99 at igourmet.com
This little tea is sweet, citrusy, and has just a little zing to it from zesty mint. The secnt is utterly divine — I wish they’d make this into a perfume! It’s the perfect parter to delicate tea biscuits and, in case you need to know, it’s also certified kosher by the KSA.

7 Reasons to Learn to Cook …

Posted: 12 May 2010 11:52 PM PDT

Not so long ago, a woman was measured for marital prospects and success at life based on just a few things, like how well she could sew, keep house, and cook. Thank goodness that's not the case today! I have to admit though, that while I know I'm not being judged on how well I can cook, I love it! Learning new recipes, trying new dishes, it's so much fun! And even though your future mother-in-law may not care whether or not you can cook, here are some reasons to learn to cook anyway…

1. It's cheaper than eating out

Photo Credit: shadphotos
The money you spend on groceries won't come anywhere near what you'll spend eating out every night, trust me! Plus, you can take left-overs of the yummy meals you prepare to work the next day for lunch. That way, you'll save money on lunches and make everyone else in the office jealous while you're eating Thai Pork and they're eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

2. It's easier to diet

Photo Credit: cszar
If you're trying to count calories and watch what you eat, then dining out can be a disaster. If you cook what you eat yourself, you'll know exactly what you're putting in the dish and how many calories it has.

3. It impresses men

Photo Credit: Conwayphotographic (Model & Maternity Gallery)
What man isn't impressed with a gorgeous woman who can pop into the kitchen and whip up a scrumptious meal while wearing an apron and heels? It may sound old-fashioned but the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach!

8 Super Models – Zero Makeup ..?

Posted: 12 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT

I always had this great fascination with Super Models of the 90-s and guess what I’ve got for you today? Yep, the pictures of the gorgeous Amber Valletta, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and other 90-s Goddesses all going naturel!
The only tricky thing is, these beauties are said to be wearing no makeup in the pictures.
But I am pretty sure Nadia, Helena and Cindy (however fabulous they are) do wear some mascara and maybe some foundation in the pics.
But what do YOU think? Are these super models really not wearing any makeup?
PS: I also took Anne’s suggestion and added glamed up pictures of the supermodels, just to remind us how fabulous they looked in the magazines with the makeup, hair and styling … Thanks, Anne! :)