tipsandsolutions

St.Patricks’ Day Celebration – More than just wearing green!

What are your plans for St. Patrick’s Day? Don’t just settle for the wearin’ o’ the green. Liven things up with a rollicking game, a fun craft, and a yummy St.Patrick’s Day meal!

Pot o' Gold Game

Pot o’ Gold Game (A St.Patrick’s Day twist on “Kick the Can”) - You should have a minimum of three players. No maximum limit.

Checklist

• A small “cauldron” (pot to hold the “coins”)
• Gold “coins” – Can be gold-painted rocks, candy wrapped in gold paper, or just yellow paper coins

How To Play the Game

1. Put the coins in the pot, and set the entire ‘pot of gold’ out on the table.
2. Pick one child to be “It.” S/he will be the Leprechaun.
3. The object of the game is for the other kids to grab the pot of gold from the table without being touched by the Leprechaun.
4. To begin the game, the Leprechaun stands by the table with eyes closed and slowly counts to 20 while the kids hide nearby. When the Leprechaun is done counting, s/he will start looking for the kids while keeping an eye (and an ear) on the pot of gold.
5. To play the game, the children try to dash in and capture the pot of gold before the Leprechaun can touch them. If a child is touched by the Leprechaun s/he is out of the game.
6. The game is over when someone grabs the pot of gold without being touched by the Leprechaun.

Make Your Own Blarney Stone

Kissing the Blarney Stone is an old Irish tradition. The Blarney Stone is a special stone at the top of the Blarney Castle in southwest Ireland. The Irish say if you kiss this stone you will receive the gift of eloquent speech. You can make your own Blarney Stone and use it to make a wish for whatever your heart desires. Take an ordinary rock and turn it into something magical!

Checklist

1. A smooth rock, washed clean
2. Paint, markers, glue, glitter, sequins, whatever decorations you prefer
3. Simply paint your rock, use markers to draw designs, or use glue to attach other decorations. Then make a wish!

Green Jello Jiggler Shamrocks

• 2 (6 oz.) pkgs. green Jello brand gelatin.
• Shamrock cookie cutter
• 2 ½ c. boiling water

Steps

1. Empty contents of jello packages into a 9x13x2 inch pan (for an 8in. or 9in. pan, cut ingredients in half)
2. Pour in boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.
3. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
4. When ready to serve, dip bottom of the pan in warm water for 15 seconds. Leave jello in the pan and use cookie cutter to cut out shamrocks. Lift the shamrocks from the pan using your fingers or a metal spatula. If jigglers stick to the pan, dip pan in warm water for a few more seconds.

Three Ingredient Dinner Rolls

Makes about 10 rolls

• 2 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• green food coloring
• 10 paper muffin liners

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, add a few drops of food coloring to mayonnaise and mix well. Add milk and flour and blend together.
3. Spoon batter into muffin liners in muffin pan.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until nicely puffed.

Make Your Own Valentines Using Household Items.The following project requires the use of bleach. If young children are involved with this project, you will want to substitute lemon juice for bleach. This project requires adult supervision.

Nothing says “I Love You” like a homemade valentine. And nothing’s easier than finding simple household products to help you do the job! For Valentine’s Day this year, why not tell people how much you care with something unique? Now before you stress out, back up. It’s really much easier than you think! Once you have the materials in front of you, you’ll soon have a sizeable stack of cards as loveable as the people who receive them. Use the tips below to create unique patterns and effects using materials already in your home. Download the .pdf attached to this article to follow some easy layouts.

Checklist

• Lifetime table
• Liftime chairs
• cardstock (various colors)
• cotton swabs
• glue stick
• markers of various colors
• cotton balls
• water
• paper towels (or dish towels)
• various ribbons (6 inch to 12 inch)
• hole punch (*optional)

Steps

1. Secure a sturdy, clear workspace that you don’t mind messing up and is easy to clean. A Lifetime table is perfect because it cannot be stained by bleach or most other chemicals.
2. Torn Paper – Tearing paper adds texture to a card and creates an interesting edge. You can make a heart-shaped card, or make a heart to put on the front of a standard square-shaped card. Just fold cardstock in half and rip the paper diagonally from the upper right hand corner of the unfolded side to the bottom left hand corner of folded side. Then starting about ¼ of the way down from the top on the folded side, carefully tear a curve up, around and down to meet the outer edge of your heart shape. You will most likely need to tear off little pieces here and there along the edges to get the exact heart shape you desire.
3. Bleach – Putting bleach on cardstock will fade the area. The more bleach, the whiter the area will become. Use a cotton swab to create patterns or accents. For the bleach to take effect more quickly, use the hot air from a blow dryer about 6 inches away. Use a cotton swab with bleach on the edge of torn paper for a whimsical effect. For an extra fun look, dip an old toothbrush in bleach and run your finger over the bristles about 6 inches away from the paper to make splatters (being very careful to avoid splattering bleach into eyes).
4. Chalk – You may also choose to use chalk to create your designs. Use a cotton ball or cotton swabs to smudge the chalk to create soft lines and shapes.
5. Paper Towel – Dab a marker on a slightly dampened paper towel, and use the paper towel to make well-placed smudges on the card or to accent the torn edges.
6. Marker – With a fine-point marker, you can make elegant lettering. An easy way to create beautiful handwriting is by choosing swirly, scripted computer fonts, printing out the message, and copying it on paper. Use the downloadable .pdf for some heartfelt messages in fun fonts.
7. Ribbon – You can use various cuts of ribbon to bind the front of your card to the back along one edge (top or left side), or simply as an added decoration to a heart-shaped card. Sometimes you can buy a bag of miscellaneous ribbon at department stores for a discounted price. These are all the odd sized end-cuts, which are perfect for card making gifts and many other crafts. To make holes for binding up the card, use a hole punch to make two holes spaced a couple of inches apart (or farther if your card is quite large). If you don’t have a hole punch, put your card on carpeting and use one blade of your scissors to poke the holes through it. Twist the blade to make an even, round hole the ribbon will thread through easily. Thread the ribbon through the holes, securely tying off the ends in an attractive bow.

Tips

• You need to work with bleach in a well ventilated area because bleach fumes are not healthy to inhale for an extended length of time. Use a small container with a lid so you can cap off the fumes between applications.
• Use your Lifetime table when working with anything potentially damaging like bleach or glue. Lifetime tables are easy to clean and stain-resistant to bleach.

Free Downloads

• Download Valentine Quotes in Different Fonts

Surprise that special someone with a romantic night in.

February has arrived and love is in the air....after all, it's almost Valentine's Day! Can you smell the sweet essences of chocolate, fresh roses, and perfume?  But you'll want a little more than that to prepare the perfect romantic evening. Surprise someone special this Valentine's Day with a delicious dinner for two by following these easy steps. Prepare the recipes below, or substitute with your own favorite dishes.

Checklist

• Lifetime card table
• Lifetime folding chairs
• 1 bag of chocolate kisses
• long tinsel curtain
• 11 pieces of paper in various colors, about 3 inches x 5 inches.
• an elegant tablecloth (a solid dark color looks great)
• 2 tall candles with candlesticks
• 2 of your nicest plates and silverware sets
• 2 champagne glasses
• romantic music

Steps

1. Make a trail of chocolate kisses from the door he usually enters, all the way into the room you'll be dining in.Make sure the trail is long enough so that, at random places in the trail, you can place 11 little love notes.
2. Write out and place ntoes throughout the trail of chocolate kisses. Start with a note that reads "10 reasons why I fell in love with you" followed by notes with little messages like "the way you laugh" and "that dimple in the corner of your smile."
3. Hang the long tinsel curtain over the entryway to the dining room (so he has to walk through it).
4. Create a romantic setting. Drape a long tablecloth over a small table (a Lifetime 37 inch table works perfectly). Set the 2 tall candles between 2 place settings and leave room for 1 plate in the center.
5. Set up the stereo with your favorite romantic music nearby. If you have a remote, you can turn it on as soon as he walks in the room.
6. Leave some room for dancing...just in case.
7. Prepare delicious Lobster Shooters to make the evening extra special.

Tips

• Get creative with your beverage! Try putting a new label on the bottle that reads "Love Potion No. 9." You may even want to purchase a funky shaped glass bottle with a cork and fill it with your favorite drink concoction.

Saucy Steak for Two

Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 50 min. Serves 2.This homemade sauce is perfect over two pieces of steak 1-2 inches thick. (You can also try this sauce on chicken or pork). Allow two 1-2 inch cuts of beef tenderloin steak to thaw as you combine the following ingredients in a small sauce pan:

• 3 tablespoons Catalina salad dressing
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons grape jelly
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 Tablespoons minced chives
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. After combining all the above ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove 1/4 cup sauce to pour over when ready to serve.
2. Coat the steaks in sauce and place on broiler pan. Broil about 5 inches away from heat for 10-15 minutes on each side, or until meat is as dark as desired, occasionally basting with remaining sauce.
3. Your meat thermometer should read 145 degrees for medium rare, 160 degrees for medium, and 170 degrees for well done.
4. Pour the 1/4 cup sauce set aside over the steaks when ready to serve.

Valentine's Dinner for Friends or Family

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and love is in the air! If you've risked frostbite decorating a loved one's car, burnt your fingers baking heart-shaped cookies, and spent hours stringing up paper hearts with cute little sayings, try something new this year. Celebrate it with a party for all of your special valentines! Follow these steps for the perfect Valentine's celebration for family, friends, church group, or community organization.

Checklist

• Lifetime round tables
• Lifetime folding chairs
• red and pink felt cut into hearts (see downloads for templates)
• pink or white plates
• miniature red, pink, and white roses
• little silver cups
• napkins
• long stems of ivy small, handwritten love notes
• thin satin ribbon (red, pink, or white)

Steps

1. Decorate the top of a round table with BIG red and pink felt hearts placed on top of a white or pink cloth that goes to the floor.
2. Use pink plates (or white plates with a pink heart cut out of felt at the top of the plate.
3. Place miniature red, pink, and white roses in little silver cups.
4. Tie napkins with long stems of ivy secured with a "love note" written on beautiful paper and tied with a thin satin ribbon.
5. Put folding chairs around the table.
6. Wrap the chairs in pink tulle or a lightweight pink fabric and tie the back with a length of ivy and a tiny bouquet of roses.
7. Prepare delicious Lobster Shooters to make the evening extra special.

Tips

• Add embellishments and involve the kids! Put out bowls of decorations such as sequins, jewels, rhinestones, pearls, ribbons, lace, etc. along with some glue. Make a heart template before you begin to cut hearts to insure uniformity in size. Pre-cut the felt into big hearts in sizes 6 inch, 7 inch, and 10 inches across (see downloads). Supervise the kids while they glue the decorations onto the hearts. You will need about 12 hearts to cover a Round Lifetime Table top.
• You can purchase felt at any fabric store and most department stores.
• You can purchase pink plates at any department or party supply store.
• Everyone looks better in candlelight. Sprinkle the table with votive candles, being sure to put one at each place setting.
• For an extra romantic "Dinner aux Deux," place your table in front of the fireplace, put on some soft music, and enjoy the evening.