DIY Spinning Nail Polish Stand - Under 12$

Looking for a way to organize all those nail polishes in a super cool and unique way? Well why not try this DIY nail polish stand! You can add a spinning feature or leave it as a regular stand. You can also use the stand for perfume, accessories, jewelry, pretty much anything!

What you will need (remember you can always improvise if you don't have the same items!):

-2 Plates (dollar store) 2$

-1 Bowl (dollar store) 1$

-2 Candle sticks (dollar store) 2$

-2 Cutting boards or anything square shaped (tiles, glass, wood etc)  (dollar store) 2$

-Lazy Susan turn table (Home Depot about 4$) 

-Paint

-Super glue

Step 1:

Select your plates and bowls for the stand. I decided to use 2 clear plastic plates and 1 bowl. Peel off any stickers and wash and dry your plates and bowls. Do the same with the candle holders.

Step 2:

Super glue the lazy susan apparatus to your bottom piece of wood/glass/tile I am using a square shaped cutting board. You will want to make sure that the lazy susan apparatus is in the center of your board. Let this dry, it should take a couple of minutes. (TIP: place a heavy textbook on it while it dries)

Step 3:

You can skip this step if your plates are not clear. Take your second piece of glass/tile/wood and paint it white. It took me 3 layers of white paint to get it to look opaque. This step is for making sure you don't see the metal lazy susan parts under the clear plates.

Step 4:

Take the first candle holder and super glue it to the center of the plate which will be at the very bottom of the stand. Give it a couple minutes to dry (TIP: apply pressure to ensure that the candle stick adheres to the plate)

Step 5:

Take the second plate and apply glue to the center of it as well as the top free end of the candle stick. Apply pressure while gluing these two objects together.

Step 6:

Take the second candle stick and glue it to the center of the plate on the top of your stand, it should now have 2 layers. Let it sit for another 15 min before you continue to the next step.

Step 7:

Take your last piece (mine is a bowl) and glue it to the top of the candle stick. I suggest applying pressure for about 1 min and then leaving the entire stand overnight to allow the glue to reach its maximum strength.

Step 8:

Once your painted square base is dry, glue the base to the lazy susan apparatus. You want the white side up and the lazy susan to be sandwiched between the two boards. Again, place a book on top while it dries. I let mine sit for about 1 hour before moving to the next step.

Step 9:

Take your two boards with the lazy susan in the center, and glue the top white board to the bottom plate of your stand. Apply pressure with your hands for about 1 min and then let the stand sit for another hour.

Step 10:

Make sure everything is glued together and nothing falls apart while you pick it up or rotate it.  

Now you are done!! Congrats you now have a spinning stand for your accessories/makeup/jewelry or nail polish! You can always spray paint the entire stand if you would like, or use mixed plates and bowls of different styles..have fun with it and remember to be creative :) 

DIY mani/pedi gift basket- it's super cheap!

 Need to save some money but still want to give someone a fabulous gift? Then this DIY gift basket is perfect! It's a great gift for mothers day, a friends birthday, or even a party favor. This gift can be easily made to fit whatever budget you have!

What you will need:
1. A basket (the size will depend on how many items you have)
2. Colorful tissue paper or something to fill the basket with such as shredded basket fillers
3. Roll of cellophane basket wrap
4. Ribbon
5. Items you want to place inside the basket- this can include things like nail polish, nail polish remover, cotton balls, a nail clipper set, a pedicure brush, a cuticle stick, a nail file, exfoliating cream, lotion, bath salts, bubble bath soap, loofah and anything else that float your boat :)

The gift basket I made was for mothers day and it was all under $12, pretty awesome right?! Below I've included step by step instructions of how I made my basket. I've also broken down all the prices for you.

Step 1: Crumple up some tissue paper and add it to your basket, the deeper your basket, the more paper you will need. 
Basket- Dollar Tree $1.00
Tissue Paper- Dollar  Tree $1.00 (free if you have some laying around the house like I did!)

Step 2: Gather your items for the basket
Covergirl Manicure set- Deals $2.00
Covergirl Pedicure set- Deals $2.00

Nail polish remover- Dollar Tree $1.00
Foot spray- Dollar Tree $1.00
Cuticle Oil- Dollar Tree $1.00
Wet n Wild Nail polishes-  Dollar Tree $2.00
Spa Salts-  Dollar Tree $1.00

Step 3: Place all your items in the basket, you will want to place the tallest and largest items towards the back and the smaller ones towards the front. You can always add extra tissue paper under or behind items to make them stand up more or make them taller.

Next, get your clear wrap and some scissors ready!
Clear wrap- Dollar Tree $1.00

Step 4: Roll out the clear wrap and place your gift basket in the center, when you lift up all the ends the should be much higher than the basket. Cut the wrap once all your sides are taller than the basket. Gather all ends and tie them with a ribbon. You will have two small ends sticking out, you can either fold those in the the basket, or tape them down. 

Here is the final product..

There you have it! A super easy mani pedi DIY gift basket where the grand total was $12.00 plus tax!

Thai Corn Fritters

Don't have a lot of time to cook? Well this is a quick and easy recipe that will leave your taste buds wanting more! 

What you will need to make Thai Corn Fritters (makes aprox 24 fritters)
3-4 cups of frozen corn
2 tsp Red curry paste
3 Scallions
1 Jalapeno
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour or Breading Flour
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 large egg
salt to taste
oil or cooking spray

Step 1:
Pour the frozen corn into a microwave safe bowl and defrost for about 5 min

Step 2: Chop the scallions and jalapenos 

Step 3: Put 2 tsp of Thai Red Curry paste into a microwaveable bowl and heat the paste for 10 sec until it softens

Step 4: Add the large egg to the bowl with the Thai Red Curry paste. Gently stir or whisk the mixture until the paste dissolves. 

Step 5: Measure 1/2 cup of Flour and add it to the bowl with the defrosted corn. Also add the egg and red curry paste mixture, the scallions and jalapenos. 

This what your mixture should look like: 

Step 6: Now add the 2 tsp of soy sauce and stir well. Add salt to taste

Your mixture should now look like this:

Step 7: Heat oil or cooking spray in a frying pan on medium heat. Scoop one spoon(this is one fritter) of the corn mixture and place it in the pan, continue doing this until you have filled the pan, but leave some room in between them. 

Step 8: Allow the fritters to cook on medium heat for about 1 min until they have a more solid form. Use a spatula and flip the fritters to pan fry the other side. Fritters are done when they are golden brown on both sides. Continue cooking the entire batch of fritters. 

 Serve warm with any Thai sweet chili sauce, or if you're feeling bold then try it with some spicy Siracha sauce. Enjoy your delicious fritters!

Suitcase packing tips for winter

Getting ready to take a trip during winter? Wondering how you are going to fit all those sweaters, jackets and boots in your bag? Well it can be done! Fit everything you need with these tips and ideas :)

What to pack

1. Reuse and recycle! - Chose outfits that you can wear at least twice such as Jeans, Jeggings, sweaters and jackets. Throw in some layering pieces like colored tank tops, cardigans and lightweight tops so you can give your outfits some variety. 

2. Accessorize!  - Pack accessories than go with every outfit such as scarfs, fashion necklaces and earrings that can all be mixed and matched. Try sticking to solid colors which can go with all your outfits. 

3. Go mini - For all those personal products, take travel sized items. Stock up on mini lotions, 2 in 1 shampoo conditioners, body spray, toothpaste, shaving cream and deodorant. 

4. Stick to the basics for makeup- Try using the same products for evening and day. Take one brown and one black eyeliner, an eye shadow pallet that has evening and day shades, a 2 in 1 lipgloss/lip moisturizer, all in one concealer/foundation and a palette that has bronzer and blush together.

5. Shoes-  Take shoes that can be worn with multiple outfits. If you're like me you want to pack both your brown boots and black boots! So wear one pair on your plane and throw the second pair into the suitcase. And for your casual pair select something like flats, moccasins or slip on sneakers.  

How to fit it

1. Ditch the folding and roll it! - Save space by rolling all your clothes, trust me it works and it also saves your clothes from wrinkling.  Start by laying your clothes length wise and just roll away! It also helps you find your clothes faster without having to dig through layers. 

2. Use those Boots to your advantage- stuff the boots with socks, scarfs, gloves or anything else. 

3. Stuff it - once your bag looks full, take those gloves, ear muffs and small winter accessories and stuff them all around the corners of your bag.

Rolled clothes

Stuff your boots

Ditch the purse and grab a wristlet!

THE WRISTLET
These are awesome! It's perfect for when you don't feel like lugging around a giant purse and want to just grab some things and head out the door. It's great for fitting essential items like your cell phone, credit cards, cash and ID or can also use it to store some small makeup items and other essentials. Wristlets are fabulous accessories that come in all styles which spice up your outfit or make it casual! 

Sequin wristlet- perfect for going out

Casual wristlet 

You can find these and many more at Express and Express.com