Snow Day Snow Sculptures

 Today is a snow day practically everywhere, except Deer Park, TX. We were so excited to have the day off and to play in the snow all day. Unfortunately, the news lied and there is no snow here. So instead of being down in the dumps about not having snow, we will pretend! The iLife Team has found and put together some very cool snow sculpture pictures for you to enjoy. And if it is snowing where you are, we suggest you try to make your own snow sculpture and send us a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Cheap Christmas Tree Decorations

Christmas time can be difficult for those who are just now on their own. You will find out that your first Christmas away from Mom and Dad is very hard, and expensive. So how can you decorate your new place without breaking the budget? Here are some tips!

Popcorn strings. These things never get old, and they are fun to make! Just make some popcorn, let it cool, and then string it. You can also add your own little flavor it by adding cranberries or nuts.

 
 

Picture ornaments. Get some pictures of family and friends and cut them out and glue them to some construction paper. Add your own designs, then hole punch the top and loop a piece of yarn through it. Vwala! You have a Christmas ornament!
 

 

Paper chains. Buy some red and green construction paper and cut them into little bitty strips. Then loop the strips together and staple! This will create a long chain of red and green that you can drape on the tree.
 

 

Have any more cheap Christmas decorating tips? Give us a shout back!

 

Tie Fleece Blankets

This past week the FCU Team has been getting together to make tie fleece blankets to send to hospitals for infants that will have to spend the winter holidays in the hospital. Over $1000 was donated to the cause and over 60 blankets were made for the children.

Tie fleece blankets are fun and very easy to make. If you don’t know what to get someone, and are tight on money this Christmas, make them a blanket! It is a thoughtful gift and not that expensive. You can pick out fabrics with cool designs or characters that match that person’s personality.

Here is what you do:
1. Go to Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, or any other place that might sell fleece. Pick out one design that you like, then pick out a solid color that matches. For children, get 1 yard of fabric each, and for adults get 2 yards.
2. Lay the fabric out laying on top of each other making sure all the sides are even, and if not cut them to be even.
3. Cut 4 inch squares in each corner, then cut 4 inch lines down all sides of the blanket spaced about an inch apart. (Make sure your blankets are still together)
4. After all of your sides are cut, tie one strip of the designed fabric to the other corresponding piece of the solid fabric. Do this to every strip and be sure to double knot it so the pieces won’t come undone.

Voila! You have a blanket!

Below is a picture from the Blankets for Infants event

 
 

Making Halloween Inexpensive

If you’ve already done your Halloween shopping for this year, you already know that Halloween is ridiculously expensive. If you haven’t, here are some pointers to make your Halloween season a tad bit cheaper.

Make your own costume. Sounds hard, but really all you have to do is think outside the box. And if you aren’t that creative, just look up Halloween stores and look at their costumes, then copy them. Go to thrift stores or resale shops like Value Village or Flea Markets and you can find some super interesting things. The best part, it’s cheap! Halloween stores make a killing off costumes by selling them for $40-$100. Don’t give in! Do a little research and make your own, plus it will be unique and no one else will have your costume.

If you don’t have time to make your own costume (since Halloween is only 4 days away), borrow one! Ask your friends what they were last year and see if they will let you borrow their costume. And if not borrow, at least buy it from them for cheaper. They will be happy to get money, and you will have a costume for less!

Make your own decorations. You don’t have to have a creative bone in your body to make decorations, it’s a synch. Paper chains are probably the best and cutest decorations for any occasion, and all you need is paper! Go buy some orange and black construction paper and cut little strips. Then tape or staple the strips into circles interlocking each one with the one before. Make long chains and hang them from the ceiling all around the house. The final product should look like this:

 

Halloween doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, if you want to start saving money this year for next Halloween, do your shopping November 1st! All stores discount their Halloween items up to 75% off after October 31st to try to get rid of it all. So just go buy all your decorations for next year this year for cheap.

Best Halloween Pumpkin Carvings

Pumpkin carving is a necessity during Halloween season. And these days, pumpkin carvings have been getting a bit elaborate. Here are some of the best Halloween pumpkin carvings on the planet.