Category Archives: DIY

sail away with paper boats

Posted on July 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

Sail into summer with fun paper boats. Such a fun water activity, sailing boats into water streams played magic on me when i was a kid.

Since we arrived to lebanon, i wanted to take Nady to this specific place where i used to play when i was his age or even bigger.

The sound of water flowing increases the energy and causes great eagerness! With less than a dollar you can make 20 colored boats to launch in this cool water.

Here is a detailed tutorial paper boat craft:

Fold an A4 paper in half. Again fold from both sides to the middle two side triangles to make like the roof of a house.

Fold up the rectangular part under the triangle from both sides. Fold the edges to the inside to make hat shape.

Fold the hat exactly in the middle, then fold up the edges (triangles) from both sides. Again if you open it it looks like a hat.

Open the hat sideways, et voila the beautiful paper boat!

The multi colored boats and the green on the sides of the water stream created a charming frame! If you don’t have natural water streams nearby, you can play by the sides of a pool or even in the bathtub to make the shower more fun.

We could stay forever playing, sensory water activities are endless, as i always say it’s one of the most exciting things to explore! Even when all the boats sailed away, Nady found another game to stay by the stream. Throwing stones in the water! Yes splash, slosh and slop! He was so excited he just wanted to soak his hands in the cold water…

Imagine how exciting and fun playing with water!

5 minutes homemade pesto

Posted on July 6, 2014 | Leave a comment

One day I will have my own small garden where i will grow basil (and other vegetables of course) to prepare this flavorful pesto!

I grew up in a family who loves the nature! My dad used to grow flowers and vegetables (tomatoes, parsley, mint, cucumbers…. ) for us they are both beautiful, like all lebanese families who has a small garden beside the house. Trust me a salad from your garden tastes different! even, It smells like your home country…

A homemade pesto, to use as a great addition to pasta, salads, sandwiches, or as a tasty dip or spread!

You will need:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine seeds
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In the food processor add basil, garlic and pine nuts. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped. Then add lemon juice and olive oil. Once fully combined mix in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

This simple basic pesto is so easy to make and incredibly delicious. It takes less than 5 minutes and you can spread it on almost everything!

How to store this homemade pesto? After filling a jar to almost the very top, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and seal closed. This can keep for a few weeks in the fridge if you continue to cover the top with olive to keep the herbs fresh.

add the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped. – See more at: http://www.servingseconds.com/2013/06/homemade-pesto.html#sthash.ALGMcs2V.dpuf

To a food processor, add the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped.
With the processor running, pour in the lemon juice and slowly add the olive oil.
Once fully combined (but still with some texture), scrape all of the pesto into a separate bowl.
Mix in the parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt & pepper.

– See more at: http://www.servingseconds.com/2013/06/homemade-pesto.html#sthash.ALGMcs2V.dpuf

2 cups fresh basil leaves (or two huge handfuls) 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 2 cloves of garlic 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup parmesan cheese juice from half a lemon salt & pepper – See more at: http://www.servingseconds.com/2013/06/homemade-pesto.html#sthash.ALGMcs2V.dpufY

quench your thirst with homemade flavored water

Posted on July 3, 2014 | Leave a comment

Ditch boring water and satisfy your thirst with healthy all natural homemade quenchers.

Water is very essential to your good health, it makes up about 60% of your body weight. Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements, but since every system in your body depends on water to function properly, you must replenish its water supply. Studies determined that your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live but roughly we can say an adequate intake for men is 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and for women 2.2 liters (about 9 cups).

It’s a huge amount of water if you think about it and you are not a water lover! That’s why here is 3 homemade recipes for naturally flavored water with added health benefits, to encourage you meet your daily needs, and stay hydrated especially it’s getting really hot outside!

citrus kiss:

Slice up one lemon, one orange and one grapefruit, add them to one liter of water. The longer the ingredients steep, the stronger the flavor will be, so mix them up a few hours ahead depending on how strong you want the taste to be.

Apple cinnamon:

Wedge up one full apple and toss in one cinnamon stick. This one has a great kick, it helps boost your metabolism.

Cucumber, mint lemon:

Slice up one or two cucumbers and soak in handful mint leaves and one sliced lemon.

You can soak in any fruit you like. Would love to have your new flavors suggestions if you already tried one!

So refreshing that I am sure I will hear lots of ahhhhhh when you try these!

honey pots – Salma and Roy wedding favors

Posted on July 1, 2014 | 2 comments

Finally the awaiting big day of Salma’s (my sister in law) and Roy is here. What a wonderful day, filled with cherished moments we will always remember.

Salma you make a beautiful bride, sister in law, sister and god mother. Antoun, Nady and I are so proud of you and we love you.

Roy welcome to the warmth of the family, may your love to Salma grow and be without end, just like your wedding ring!

Mabrouk to the gorgeous bride and awesome groom, you are beautiful together, your happiness is ours, may you always find in each other the love, laughter and joy.

Honey pots favors as sweet as your love! Easy to do.

Click honey tags to print a high resolution file. All you need is a ribbon of your choice and glue.

You can change the message and turn it easily to a new born or baby shower favor.

Salma and Roy are “meant to bee”

Just “bee happy” and “bee loved” because “love is buzzing” and “love is sweet”

May your honeymoon never ends and your love remains as sweet as honey. Congrats!

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Posted in design, DIY, special occasions

Tagged blog, design, DIY, honey, honey pots, jaymmy, marmite et ponpon, wedding, wedding favor

colored pasta frame to Nady’s best papa tuto in the world – Happy father’s day!

Posted on June 20, 2014 | 2 comments

Papa Tuto (Antoun) we miss you a lot, can’t wait one more week to join us! Nady’s is in a hurry to see you to offer you his handmade frame, made with love.

If you want to make similar frame, all you need is colored pasta and a frame of your choice.

Color different type of pasta, with food coloring. Let it dry completely for at least 5 hours before using.

Choose a white frame (for a better contrast with the colors) with big borders to have a space to stick the colored pasta.

Tuto as Nady calls Antoun! You can write anything you wish, maybe a message!

Brush the frame with glue (we used UHU) give your child the pasta and let him be creative.

This beautiful frame is 100% made by Nady 🙂

He kept on sticking and removing the pasta for a long time! He really enjoyed this craft play! Even after he is done with the frame he played with the remaining pasta for some time!

It’s the second father’s day for you, and it happens for the second time we are not celebrating in the same country. I collected your happy moments with Nady over these two years, i know each picture says hundred words, thousand stories and infinite feelings.

Happy father’s day tuto, am sure Nady will grow up loving you and being proud of you!

Happy father’s day to all the fathers in the world, especially those who lost a kid, those who raised one they didn’t give birth to and those who takes care of their kid with special needs.

Happy father’s day to my father in law William, may you live long and god grants you health.