#6: Oreo Cake

I was asked to make a dessert for our tailgate, so I tried a cake that my sister-in-law pinned that looked amazing:

Source: kraftrecipes.com  on Pinterest

Directions:

Make 2 9-inch devil's food cakes per the box's directions. Let them cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, and then cool completely on a rack. Meanwhile, beat 2 cups (1 small plastic container) of thawed cool whip, 1 package of cream cheese, and 12 crushed oreos together.  Icing the top of one of the cakes with the cream cheese/oreo concoction, and then place the other cake on top.  Microwave 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and 1/4 cup of butter until both are melted, and mix together.  Icing/glaze the top of the cake with the chocolate. Refrigerate until eating.

My Twist:

I did this per the directions, except I used fat-free cream cheese and low fat cool whip. I also did 18 crushed oreos (what can I say, I love me some oreos).   

Verdict:

Delish! Everyone loved it, and it was the perfect oreo cake.  Despite its rich look, it was pretty light.  There was very little left, and I've already been asked to make it again. 

For aesthetics, I would go ahead and icing the oreo/cream cheese very neatly before adding the top layer of cake. I assumed the cake would smash down on the oreo, but it didn't at all.  I had to fill more cream cheese on the edges after adding to the top layer, and keeping the cake part "clean" was harder than it looks.

#5: DIY Shower Head Cleaner

While doing some fall cleaning, I tried out this pin to descale your showerhead from the hard water deposits: 
 

Source: frugallysustainable.com on Pinterest

Directions:

Pour 1/3 cup of baking soda into a ziploc bag. Slowly add 1 cup of white vinegar (it will fizz and foam as you add it).  Place bag over showerhead, and secure with either a twist tie or rubber band. Let it soak for at least 2-3 hours, with best results being overnight. Wipe off showerhead before use.

 

My Twist:

I did it exactly as the directions state, and left it on overnight.  I still could see the deposits, so i left it on another 12 hours.

 

Verdict:

Fail. I don't know if I may have limestone buildup instead of hard water deposits, but this did absolutely nothing even though I left it on for 24 hours. I plan on just using CLR.

Remembering 9/11

Lately, I've been slightly concerned by everyone in our generation who are so connected to the internet that they aren't engaging in every day life. Yes, I agree Facebook, twitter and the internet generally are great avenues for public awareness; but, talking about something in your Facebook status is not making a difference in the world.

I have been even more aware of this today.  Everyone I know has a posting online about remembering September 11.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad that people are remembering. But, I wish our generation did more action. 

I was talking to a co-worker about this, and she said that it is often hard to think of things to do.   So, I thought of a short list of small things people can do today:

• Make an appetizer or dessert and take it to your local police station or fire house, including a note thanking them for their service.
• Personally call or write to a veteran, thanking them for their service
• Buy/use only American-made products
• Do an hour of volunteer work
• Send a care package to our troops overseas
• Stop by the local ROTC or VA building and thank them for their service 
• Pray for the victims and their families 
• Give blood (I'm doing this one)

Anyone have additional small ways to remember?

#4: Organizing Dresser Drawers

I cleaned out my dresser drawers this weekend and re-folded my clothes according to this pin:

Source: darkroomanddearly.com on Pinterest

Directions:

She provides extremely easy instructions on how to fold your clothes (with pictures).  Essentially, fold your t-shirts in half so that the two sleeves lay on top of each other. I folded mine so any writing or graphic on the t-shirt was showing (allowing me to easily see what the shirt is later). Fold the sleeves over on side of the shirt, and fold it in half so that the bottom of the shirt touches the collar.  Fold it in half like this again. 

 

My Twist:

I liked it so much, I folded all most of my clothes like this (golf skirts, cardigans, shorts, yoga pants, etc). It worked with all of them.

 

Verdict:

AWESOME. I spent about two hours doing this, and only gave two shirts away.  But, folding my shirts like this saved so much space, I have an entire empty drawer and extra space in several others.  It is great to be able to see all my clothes and options quickly, plus it seems to stay pretty organized.

#3: Hair Updo

I was supposed to go to court this morning, so I wanted to do something a little more professional.  I decided to do a quick half-up from the mahh-valous The Small Things blog.

The pin:

Source: thesmallthingsblog.blogspot.com via Pinterest

 

Directions:

She has a tutorial video on how to do this that is easy-peasy.  Essentially, tease your hair slightly around the crown, and then brush lightly over the top it to smooth it out.  Pin the portion near the crown of your head half up, leaving the front half of your hair (around your face) down.  Then, take smaller pieces of your hair that is left and cross it over the area you just pinned, ensuring you cover up your bobby pins.  Alternate sides so that you create the zig-zag pattern, doing your bang portion last. Hide any straggling pieces, and voila! 

 

My Twist:

I selected my hairdo last night and watched her video.  But, this morning I was rushing, so I went from memory because I didn't have time to watch the video again.   I also didn't have time to check what I was doing as I went, so it had the potential to be terrible. I also twisted each end once as I was pinning it to give it a slightly textured feel, and tried to hide my bobby pins under the previous section.  I also used blonde bobby pins so they aren't as noticeable as hers.

 

Verdict:

WIN. This took me almost no time to do (less than 6 minutes), and I feel polished and put together. Trust me, If I can do this, you can do this.  I am TERRIBLE at hair and make up, and my hair is so thick and long that it is hard to manage. This has given me the confidence to try styling my hair more.  I also think it would be a good base for a low, pretty bun.  Here's a few pictures of my results (ignore the messy bathroom and low iPad quality, I was in a huge rush to get my court appearance that ended up not happening):

 

Inspired to do your own 30 day Pinterest Challenge? 

Link up and join in on the fun!

#2: Foot Scrub

In desperate need of a pedicure, I tried this pin last night.

Source: ehow.com on Pinterest

Directions:

The pin says to dissolve a cup of epsom salt in warm water, and then soak your feet for 30 minutes.  Scrub your feet to remove the loose dead skin, rinse, and pat dry.  
The link itself then says to place heavy moisturizer over the feet and cover with a thick sock overnight.

My Twist:

I did not click through to the link after this morning, so I did not do the overnight moisturizer.

Verdict:

Doing this definitely helped and left my feet feeling extremely soft. My results were similar to a pedicure, but I really scrubbed my feet hard with a pedicure stone.  I imagine the overnight moisturizer would it even better.  That said, I doubt you could get results like that picture from just one soaking, regardless of how hard you scrubbed (and if your feet look that bad, please do yourself a favor and just go get a real pedicure).

My Personal Pinterest Challenge

I feel like literally everyone is on Pinterest--including even my technologically not-so-savvy mother (with whom I spent about a half an hour on the phone this week explaining Facebook and the concept of a wall, but that's a whole different story).  

But, I realized that as much time as we all spend "pinning," very seldom do we "do" any of it.   So, my personal challenge is to try 30 Pinterest ideas this month. I'll try to be diligent and share my attempts--the good, bad and ugly.

Lately, I've been feeling like our house is a bit stale, and with all this rain, it's too humid to open up the doors and windows.  

With that in mind, here is:

Pin #1: The "Williams Sonoma" Scent

Source: morganmoore.typepad.com via Pinterest

Directions:

The pin says to simmer a pot filled with 2/3 of water, fresh rosemary sprigs, lemon slices and a teaspoon of vanilla. Let it simmer all day, adding water when needed. 

My Twist:

I didn't have fresh lemons, so i substituted lemon juice.  I also added cinnamon, because who doesn't like cinnamon?  

Verdict:

It smelled great, but the rosemary is strong.  I added a little more vanilla, lemon juice and cinnamon as the hours went on to balance it out.  We also have a more open downstairs floor plan, so I don't think the scent was too overwhelming.  In a smaller space, I'd only let it simmer for a couple hours.

I also don't know if it is the Williams Sonoma smell (I always thought it had some clove in it), but it is a fresh, clean deodorizer.  I definitely will redo this one. 

Inspired to do your own 30 day Pinterest Challenge? 

Link up and join in on the fun!