Christmas Beverages

Hey Guys!

I found this absolutely amazing hot chocolate recipe, and I wish I could take photos and do it justice, but I am really busy. But I wanted you to have it for Christmas so while everyone else is enjoying all their sugary hot chocolate you can have your own amazing concoction!

The Hot Chocolate: Paleo Hot Chocolate mix

I recommend using a ratio of 1:1 for the cocoa and the coconut sugar. Otherwise it is very bitter. And make sure you use sea salt! I used the wrong salt one time and it was not good.

Also check out All Day I Dream About Food’s Low Carb Egg Nog recipe. Make it the day before so it can chill overnight and you will be all set for your Christmas beverages!

Happy Holidays!!

-Lily

10 Gifts People will actually like

Hey Guys!

Don’t you love the feeling of having all your work done for the moment? The dishes are done, the laundry machines are running, and you have finished all schoolwork you need to (depending on your age). I am currently in that moment of freedom (!) and so I decided to write up a blog post for you!

Since it is almost Christmas I bet you people are expecting a Christmas-themed post. Don’t worry, I will deliver! Here are 10 gift ideas people will actually like!

1. A Plush Blanket

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These things are everywhere, and who doesn’t love ‘em!? They are so soft and cuddly, and they are perfect to take to a sleepover or on vacation. You can find almost any design or print to make it the best gift for young and old, boys and girls.

2. 52…

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These jars are getting more and more popular, and the reason for that is that they are so much fun! You don’t have to do a “year in a jar” like The Gunny Sack did, you can also do “52 reason why I love you” or “52 thoughts from me to you”. The options are completely customizable, and the receiver will love the thought you put into it. Have fun with it!

P.S. you can also do this with a deck of cards. :)

3. Shower Speaker

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There are a lot of awesome bluetooth gadgets out there right now, but I think one of the best is a waterproof shower speaker. This will make an amazing gift for someone who doesn’t ever seem to be without their headphones. Plus they come in a ton of different varieties so, like the other thing seen before this, you can choose the perfect one for your person.

4. Bullet Journal

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In a time where it seems nothing is without electricity, bullet journals are acquiring more and more charm for those who like details and planners. These books are great for people who doodle and people who plan alike, so, combined with the receiver's fave color, this can hit a lot of different targets.

P.s. I recommend getting the Triplus Fineliner Pens to go with this book.

5. Books

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Is there a book series they love but don’t own? A book they’ve wanted to try forever but haven't been able to? There’s an opportunity there! Grab that book for them and you will be high on their list of people to thank. :)

6. Sports

Is there a sport they love? Has football won them over? Do they devote themselves to swimming, or maybe volleyball? Consider getting them a jersey in the team colors, or some jewelry to show their team spirit. A personal favorite of mine are sweatshirts.

7. Craft Kit

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Do they love to craft? Does your person spend hours trying out this thing they saw on Pinterest, or are they dipping their toes in the endless ocean that is DIY? You should probably try making them a craft kit then! Mama Pappa Bubba had the fun idea of making it in a tackle box, which would make it wonderfully portable. Dreaming DIY has a ton of other ideas for kits of all shapes and sizes (not just for crafting!) so that would be a good place to look for inspiration as well.

8. Birchbox

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This one is on the spendy side of things, but it is so worth it. Birchbox is a subscription service where they send you a box every month with 5 high-end beauty products (at least 4 of them are sample size). I have had a lot of fun with boxes I have received so far, and it is an incredible value since you only pay $10 for a box of $15+ items. If Birchbox doesn’t sound too great, you could also check out Ipsy, FabFitFun or Glossybox.

9. Gift Cards

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Despite the fact that gift cards might scream “I forgot about you” in your opinion, some people actually prefer them to material presents. Grab a couple gift cards to their favorite stores, stick them in a jar of candy and you are set! Or hide them in a book they were eyeing. Or drop it in a brand new pair of slippers. The options are endless!

10. Kitchen Utensils

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If they love cooking then this might be a fun treat! Especially if you make sure the colors match their kitchen. Another thing you could do with these (rather than just gift them as-is) is add them to a small kit of cooking supplies. Like a basket full of measuring spoons, measuring cups, spatulas and the like. :)

I hope you enjoyed this list of gifts! If you gift any of these be sure to tell me how they liked it. Don’t forget to follow me to receive an email every time I post so you don’t miss a thing!

See you next week!

~Lily

Glitter Icicles

Hey Guys!

So my little siblings love Christmas. Especially the decorations. They also love all the crafts I do for this blog. So I thought we’d make some Christmas ornaments. It turned out pretty nice!

I used this craft for inspiration: Sparkly Icicle Craft-Kid's Craft Room

First I cut out a strip of foil.

I folded the top inch or so down and added a loop of yarn, then I rolled it (loosely).

I gave the foil roll to a sibling at that point and told them to make it look like an icicle! :)

Once they had their desired shape, I gave them a paintbrush with Modpodge and a tiny bit of glitter.

They really enjoyed this part!

Then we hung them up to dry. And if you use Modpodge you do not need to worry about the glue showing since it dries clear.

And, once it is dry, you’re done!

My sister tried this out with some paper instead of the foil and it turned out pretty well! So feel free to improvise with your materials.

You can make these all different shapes and sizes. This icicle is about 2 ½ inches long. Perfect for smaller trees.

And that’s it! Thank you for stopping by today. Please tell me down below if you liked this post or if you have another thing for me to try and make with my siblings. Also subscribe to this blog (using the bar on the side) to receive an email the next time I post so you don’t miss anything.

See you next week!

-Lily

Washi Outlets

Hey Guys!

So today I have a very simple craft that I definitely recommend you try. Decorated outlet covers!

We all know outlets, while very useful, are not all that pretty. In fact, they can be a bit of an eyesore at times. So here is my solution to this!

Sorry about the bad lighting in these photos. I didn’t have my usual workspace.

You will need:

Washi Tape

Outlet cover

Xacto Knife (if you do not have an Xacto knife you can use scissors)

Please be careful when dealing with outlets. Make sure you know the dangerous parts of an outlet. Get a parent to help you if necessary.

Now just start cutting and pasting! Use the Xacto knife to cut the tape around the holes. Easy peasy.

And you are done!

If you do give this DIY a try tell me in the comments below. See you next week!

-Lily

Name Change

Hey Guys!

I said I would post something explaining the name changes in the last post, so here I am!

My new title is Lily in General, as you may have guessed from the new URL ( lilyingeneral.blogspot.com ). I changed it because I think this name fits the blog better. It’s a bit more all-encompassing, so I don’t have to worry about my name sounding like a lifestyle etc. website when the blog really isn’t.

Another bonus is that now the name and the URL are the same, so you don’t have to work to remember both!

My Instagram and Pinterest usernames are now lilyingeneral42 to fit the blog title. :)

Thanks again for your patience! :D

-Lily

3D Snowflakes

Hey guys!

I apologize for not posting the past couple weeks, my family has been very busy. But now I’m back!

Today’s post is a little out of season as Thanksgiving hasn’t even passed yet. But I found some pictures on Pinterest and decided I wanted to make a blog post on it. So if you want to get a head start on decorating for Christmas this post is for you!

You will need:

Scissors

A pencil

Tape

A stapler

6 pieces of paper

A ruler

Cut your paper into a square. I am just using computer paper, but you can also use colored paper.

With your paper still folded in a triangle begin drawing your lines. You will need to draw three triangles total, getting smaller as you go down.

This is my triangle with the second set of lines.

I’ve edited this photo for convenience. :) The red lines are where you need to cut. Do not cut the triangles out. You want the paper to still be in one piece.

It should look something like this.

With the loose corners on the side, roll the middle diamond until the corners overlap. Secure it with tape.

Now take the second diamond and roll it over the first, with the corners overlapping. Secure it with more tape.

Now turn the paper upside down so that the first two rolls are on the bottom. Tape the next roll.

Now turn it back so the first two rolls are facing you. Tape the final roll.

The side of it should look like this.

Now repeat to make 5 more petals.

Here are all my petals lined up.

Now it’s time to connect them!

This bit is rather simple. These photo are half of my snowflake stapled. The red circles are where you want to staple it.

Start by taping two petals together where they touch. Then staple it (the tape helps hold it together while you get the stapler.) Then add the third one the same way.

Now take the inner corners of two of the petals and tape them so they overlap.

Then add the third corner over that and staple it.

Once you have the three petals bunched together repeat to make the other half. Your snowflake should look something like this.

Now staple the middle and the petals that are not connected.

And you are done! Your snowflake is now ready to hang up! A few pieces of tape were all I needed to hang up my snowflake, so now I have a fun (early) Christmas decoration!

Let me know in the comments if you gave this a try, or if you will try it out in December! :)

See you later!

Lily

(Btw: My url is now lilyingeneral.blogspot.com. I will put out a post explaining and finishing all the name changes soon. Thanks for your patience!)

What I can do in an Afternoon

Hey Guys!

Today I wanted to make something. So I went searching for a project. And, of course, Pinterest delivered.

I love Pinterest.

Anyway, I found this amazing little carrier that I enjoyed making. I think it’s really cute and I definitely recommend clicking the link and checking out the how-to.

Here is the website: Crazy Little Projects

I had some scraps of fabric left over from my pocket quilt, so I used those.

Here are all my pieces hemmed and laid out.

I only had enough interfacing for four of the pockets (the largest, the two light blue and the small purple), so I used batting for the back (the largest purple), and I didn’t use any backing for the chevron pocket.

I also laid out the pieces opposite to the way Crazy Little Projects did. This was a mistake and I did not realize it until I had sewn all the little pockets. It still works this way however, so I didn’t change it at all.

Sewing the pen elastic.

I added four more spots for pens on the large pocket because I need more than two pens. My plan was to go all the way across with the elastic but pinning it was so tedious I decided not to.

Before sewing everything together.

Here the back is attached I just flipped it inside out.

After ironing flat and topstitching.

And you’re done!

A few other adjustments:

I made the large pocket big enough to fit my bullet journal (comment if you want photos of the inside :D).  And I made the phone pocket small enough to fit my...small phone, although obviously it can also fit the larger iPhone 7.

I also only did two overlapping pockets instead of three because it is hard for my machine to sew a lot of fabric. It did just fine with this though!

Comment below if you tried this and what you did differently. Also if you have a post you really want me to make please tell me and I will try and do it!

See you later!

-Lily