Life Hacks

Often times I find my self in situations that I need a little help with. Thank the Lord for the internet because without it I wouldn't know what to do. Surfing the web looking for ways to help my hair grow, cure a headache and make my phone charge faster is one of my favorite hobbies! I could spend hours looking up useless tricks that I will probably never remember so maybe if I share them with you, you'll be able to remind me!

Photo Courtesy of: Imgur

1. Have a burnt tongue? Sugar can cure it!

2. Putting batteries in the refrigerator overnight, before you use them, will double their lifespan.

3. Paper cut? Use some Chapstick for quick healing!

4. Eating meat and dairy will help you stay tan during the winter.

5. Put dry tea bags in your shoes over night to soak up the stench.

6. Chew gum when you cut onions to avoid crying.

7. If you're embarrassed to buy something, buy a cheap birthday card with it!

8. Putting your phone on airplane mode will make it charge 3x faster.

9. Just refresh Pandora to skip a song without actually using any "skips".

10. Wash your conditioner out with cold water for shinier hair. 

11. Sore throat? Eat marshmallows!

12. Drink pineapple juice to avoid colds.

13. Mosquito bite? Press a hot spoon onto it to avoid itching! (I did this all summer with my bites and it works really well! Just make sure the spoon isn't too hot or you'll blister your skin 😳)

14. Headache? Drink Gatorade or Powerade to stop it!

15. Drinking black tea reduces lung damage.


Like I said, it's hard to remember these but who knows? Maybe that one time you get a sore throat, you remember to eat marshmallows! Let me know if you try any of these, and tell me if they work!

Seasonal Sensations: Popcorn Balls

POPCORN BALLS!!! One of my favorite things to eat and make! You see lots of different variations, but they all have the same basic ingredients. It's up to you to add in what you want to give it a little character! Popcorn balls make a great gift for teachers, bus drivers, friends and neighbors. From when I was six years old, I made these with my mom and sister. It's simple enough to make for a kindergartener to help but fun enough for the whole family!

Picture Courtesy of Martha Stewart 

Ingredients:

• 16 cups popped popcorn

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup

• 2 tsp white vinegar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 tbsp salted butter

• 1 cup M&Ms

Directions:

1. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl

2. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper

3. Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in a sauce pan over medium or high heat (stir until sugar dissolves)

4. Cook without stirring for 12-15 minutes, then remove from heat

5. Quickly stir in vanilla and butter until the butter is completely melted

6. Pour mixture over the popcorn and stir it in to completely coat popcorn

7. Let it sit for 3 minutes, stirring every once in a while

8. Form the mixture into 12 balls

------------- this is where I add my own creativity-------------------

9. Press 6-10 M&Ms around each ball to add some color and chocolate flavor

10. Let them cool at room temperature for a while until eating or packaging

You can do so many things to change this recipe up a little bit. For example, because Halloween is coming up in a few weeks, you could all candy corn! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/10/popcorn-balls/You can also add food coloring at the same time you combine the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar which is cute around christmas time. As one final tip, I like to put the balls in cupcake holders just to make the presentation better, and to make it a little easier to package and eat.

Enjoy!