Today we have an awesome guest post feature written by Joe from Heat Press Review
I love DIY projects & have been meaning to feature one on the blog so the email request couldn't have come at a better time. These are all so amazing & I hope y'all have mad creative fun making them.
"It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving." ~ Mother Teresa
It's time to overcome your self-doubt and start saving money. We're not all as successful as J.K Rowling just yet, so making family gifts can help us save some money come the holiday season. A few of the family gifts people can start making right now, include:
1. Glove Monsters
Gloves are boring, but you can make them magical for your own kids, nieces, nephews or anyone else in your life. You can sew your own gloves, or you can choose to buy them and then decorate them to add a little spunk to the look.
We'll assume you have the gloves already, so now all that's left is to:
1. Sew on eyes. The eyes can be buttons or circular fabric pieces with black in the middle. I like to use brightly colored fabrics for eyes.
2. Make a mouth: Using white fabric, cut little V-shapes out of the white fabric along the edges to look like sharp teeth. Sew into place.
That's it. This project is super simple and easy to do. You can share these creations with the little guy or girl in your family – they'll appreciate the effort.
2. Homemade Milk Bath
After a long day of reading, it's nice to sit back and relax a bit more in a homemade milk bath. Baths are not just for kids, and they're so relaxing, they'll melt all the stress and anxiety of the day away. You can give the gift of a homemade milk bath by making your own.
You'll need:
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
These three ingredients will work to cleanse and soothe the skin. Simply add them into a mason jar and mix up well. You can go crazy making neat little labels, too, if you like.
This is obviously unscented, but you can add in your own essential oils, too. A few of my favorite oils to add are:
Mint
Peppermint
Lavender
3. Mint Foot Soak
Another great item to add to a gift basket is a homemade foot soak. The recipient can use this soak to alleviate pain or just to feel good before going to bed. This soothing mixture will include the following ingredients:
1/2 cup baking soda
Lime essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
2 cups Epsom salts
Place ingredients into a large bowl. You can use 3 – 5 drops of each essential oil, or however many you like. Stir with a spoon until everything is thoroughly mixed. Place the mixture in a bag or jar.
Just note that this mixture needs to be used within a few weeks or months.
4. Family T-Shirts
If your family is big on reunions, why not surprise everyone with a family t-shirt to mark the occasion? A multifunctional heat press will work very well, or you can choose to ditch the heat press and use a third-party service to print them online.
The goal is to print something everyone will remember.
A few ideas are:
The names of all family members present
The names of family members that have died
Jerseys with the family's last name on them
You can also use this idea for kids' gifts, hats or any other piece of apparel you can think of giving. A little personalization goes a long way in making a great gift that people love to receive.
5. Personalized Wooden Spoons
Wooden spoons have a place in every kitchen. These spoons can help make your next dish spectacular, and they don't have to be boring either. i recommend buying the spoons unless you're good at carving them out.
While this may seem boring, something Reese Witherspoon (no pun intended) taught us is to be a little wild.
How can you be wild when personalizing spoons?
Simple.
Wood burning kits. These kits are loads of fun, and they allow you to burn anything onto wood. Lettering is a great way to decorate these spoons. Some examples include:
Love
Happiness
Initials
Charm
Beautiful
I'm the cook
These are very easy to start burning into a wooden utensil.
If you want to get fancy, you can trace anything o to wood and burn it into it, such as mountains, designs, pictures. You're only limited by your imagination.
You can even make plaques, coasters and other items using your wood kit. And since this is a great hobby to have, you'll find plenty of uses for your wood burning kit. I find myself making things all the time for people because the rustic look is back in style.
Half way through the week & it's #WednesdayWisdom
You know that means, right? Today I take someone influential and share just 5 Epic Life Lessons they have to offer us. And few are more influential than Mademoiselle Reese Witherspoon.
She's Walked the Line, Stayed Wild & Legally enchanted the hearts of millions of people all around the world with her Tennessee charm, big heart and radiant smile. Forgot Not we shall her acting & singing talents. #Madskills
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon(/ˈriːs ˈwɪðərspuːn/; born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Tennessee, Witherspoon began her career as a child actress. Witherspoon's breakthrough role was playing Elle Woods in the 2001 film Legally Blonde, for which she received international recognition.
In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention for her portrayal of June Carter in Walk the Line, which earned her the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress.
Mademoiselle Witherspoon is voicing the character Rosita in the 2016 animated feature film, SING. She plays a domestic pig, who gave up her teenage music dreams to become a devoted wife of Norman, & mother to 25 piglets.
"I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything."~ Reese Witherspoon
She's been featured on multiple accounts as one of the sexiest women on the planet.
So iptofacto if she is so in Love with reading then prestofineto Reading is Sexy!
Books are mankind's greatest invention in all of history. Nothing can heal, soothe, fix, mend, repair, reap, elate, encourage, tickle, beat, become, teach, impress, transport, catch & awaken you the way a book can. It is our supreme honor and responsibility that we ensure Books & reading continue through future generations.
She is an avid reader and has a film production company dedicated to bringing best selling books to screen: Pacific Standard Film: READ Article Here
She recently produced the critically acclaimed Gone Girland I'm sure we all remember how gripping that movie was. Brrrrrr{goosebumps}~ the chills.
"Many people worry so much about managing their careers, but rarely spend half that much energy managing their lives. I want to make my life, not just my job, the best it can be. The rest will work itself out."~ Reese Witherspoon
“For women in this business, ascendancy is always a battle. It’s scrape and claw. I just try to stick to my guns and respect myself. I want to take the ingenues aside and say, ‘value yourself’! It’s okay if you have opinions!”~ Reese Witherspoon
Life is what happens when you forget to LIVE. Don't use your ambition, your career, your goals as an excuse for not experiencing all that life has to offer you. There is true beauty, true passion & true magic out there. You need only take the time to discover it.
3. Selfie Selflessly Self-Love
{Try sayin' that 5 times fast}
"There's no bad consequence to loving fully, with all your heart. You always gain by giving love."~ Reese Witherspoon
How often are we told, "don't wear your heart on your sleeve."
How often are we cautioned against falling in love, too hard and too fast.
Many people say money is what makes the world go round, but I believe it is Love. Love is in everything worth having. Your dream partner, your dream house, your dream career, even your dream weight...can only be achieved through genuine Love in all it's forms and shapes.
Almost Every blockbuster movie or bestselling book has a Love story.
Better to have Love & Lost than to have never loved at all. No other emotion, no other experience can trump what you feel when you feel Real, honest to goody-goodness Love.
LOVE is ALL.
2. Ridiculous Work Ethic
{Don't reach for the stars if ya ain't willin' to build the rocket ship}
“I like work. If it’s not hard enough, I try to make it harder. I like the process of being daunted by it, tackling it and knowing I can do it.”~ Reese Witherspoon
Now that we've covered the essentials of Readin', Livin' & Lovin'.
We get down to what galvanizes them all together and allows you to rise above all else. To conquer, to achieve.
"I've never viewed myself as particularly talented. I've viewed myself as…slightly above average in talent. Where I excel is with a ridiculous, sickening work ethic. While the other guy's sleeping, I'm working. While the other guy's eating, I'm working. While the other guy's making love, I mean, I'm making love, too, but I'm working really hard at it!"
“I’m Not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. Period. You might have more talent than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be sexier than me. But if we get on a treadmill together there’s two things that’ll happen. You are going to get off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple. I’m not going to be outworked.”
Personal Experience: Put in that effort, your actions become habit and once they do ain't nothing gonna stop ya.
1. Stay WILD
{Feel the motion of the Ocean. Action creates reaction}
“Doing begets more doing. It sounds simple, but I’m a firm believer that action can solve so many worries, and just powering through, no matter what, can give you the confidence you need when you feel like you’ve got nothing to offer.”~ Reese Witherspoon
We live in a world where it is just One complaint after another. There's no end to the stream of people who are constantly complaining about their lives, the world around them and the other people in it. All they want is for you to listen to them, interact with them and become just another negative nelly.
Who would you rather listen to?
The person who wants everything but does nothing to achieve it OR The person who has everything and was wiling to do anything to achieve it???
The only way through is... Through!
As Han says in Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. There's no hard or fast way of learning how to Drift. You learn by doing it.
And in the infamous words of Nike
JUST DO IT!
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My All-Star mentor and friend Akasha Garnier was the one who intro'd me to Reese's inspirational & influential side. And when your mentor is inspired by someone you make sure you pay attention to who that could be.
Akasha's book Secrets to Shine Through the Noise references Reese's influence and quotes. It's a MUST READ self-improvement book. Glowing reviews can be found throughout this blog.
Reese recently ran a twitter campaign with the Hashtag #StayWILD in honor of her movie WILD. Akasha joined in the fun and here was Reese's response:
"Reese
Witherspoon has a stellar sense of shine on several levels: I appreciate that
she shows her strength, beauty and Southern charm as she inspires women and
girls of all ages. She is book smart and willing to act on it!"
Her newest venture "Hello Sunshine" will launch in 2017 with ATT Direct TV.
"As we continue the journey of creating engaging entertainment for and about women at Hello Sunshine, it's exciting to have a partner in AT&T who shares that commitment with us. We can't wait to bring the Hello Sunshine channel to life with DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW customers in 2017," said Witherspoon.
*********************
In other news~
🌟💙✨ Thank YOU, Arigato & Gracias!
Reached +1 Million Impressions in 28 days! 3 months in a row!
Today I attended the screening for Singat the Sandton Prestige thanks to my awesome friend Cassarica Nadas who blogs over at the Amazeblog.
Did ya love Despicable Me & The Secret Life of Pets? Are you a fan of the ever crazy adorable Minions? Then this might just be the next best release by Illumination Entertainment for you.
Happy #TuesdayMotivation
Sing tells the tale of every Artist's journey to stardom, with all the right elements of comedy & heart-warming characters at it's core.
Watch the Trailer here:
Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Buster Moon a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal-some might even say delusional-optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life's ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition.
*****
Movie Review
I gotta say after seeing the trailer, I went into this movie expecting a hilarious comedy with elements from other singing competitions from around the world but with an anthropomorphic spin. Like American Idols or X Factor.
But it developed into SO MUCH more!
I was absolutely blown away, not by the storyline or even the singing {which are both extraordinary regardless} but More because I related to the Heart & Soul of the movie. Sing should be watched by ALL Artists "both great & small" and in all shapes and sizes. If you're in the creative field at all, this is the perfect festive motivation you need!
It gave me all the right goosebumps, choking back sobs and cheering-on that I needed to feel.
***
An Artist's Journey: Featured Elements
Family
In every Journey to success there are the doubters, the haters, pessimists & ofcourse, the naysayers.
Worse still is when it comes from a family member, especially when they have an envisioned "plan" for what you should be. Sometimes they are just indifferent, not noticing you have any talent whatsover.
They can also be your biggest supporters and believe in you even when you don't.
Sing delivers these dynamics via the talents of Reese Witherspoon as Rosita the "Housewife" with 25 pigletts and an overworked husband. Johnny the gorilla with a gang leader for a father who wants him to follow in the family business of crime. Meena the indian elephant with severe stage fright but a truly supportive family.
Nothing is ever black & white, in Life there are always clouds of gray and if you stay the course you might just see the rainbow clouds of fluffy candyfloss goodness.
Meena the elephant has to deal with her sever fear of singing in public {It should be noted the the Number ONE fear in all of the world is speaking in public and NOT death so HER fear is completely understandable and compelling}
Whereas Mr Mikey Mike, the small white crooning mouse with a big Frank Sinatra-esque voice, has no fear for the stage. This fear is instead replaced with an arrogant attitude that he's better than everyone and just like the "Hare" in the famous fable, he neglects to notice or acknowledge the "Tortoise"
Finally you have Gunter, the hilarious dance sensation that's sure to make you pop with laughter. He feels the beat within his core and is completely oblivious in the ways that most people are conscious of their appearance & impressions in public.
FAITH
Faith to me is like the Air around us, just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there. You can Feel it though, oh yes You can Feel it.
It is the sum total of your Core belief system. It is the tenacity with which you fight for your dreams.
Each character is Tested, their Faith put on trial against the reality of failure and a world run on Money.
Ashley, a crested porcupine punk rocker has to deal with this when she is chosen for the competition and her boyfriend is not. When she's asked to be more mainstream and sing pop songs instead of staying true to her roots and even attempting to write her on music.
DREAM BIG DREAMS
My main motto in life is this very same theme. Buster the Koala is an eternal-some might even say delusional-optimist. Which means that he has the innate talent to convert any negative into a creative positive. It is this very optimism and passion that brings these every day animals together in search of their true potential. In many ways I related to Buster the most because if you would go by Socrates proto-psychological theory of personality types in color. Buster and I are what you would called BLUE. We can be lively, sociable, carefree, talkative, and pleasure-seeking. We may be warm-hearted and optimistic. We can make new friends easily, be imaginative and artistic, and often have many ideas.
BUT even we have our limits and there are times when the failure cuts too deep and for too long, sometimes when we least expect it. It's at this time that the movie displays a universally fundamental lesson too often underappreciated. As Oprah once said, "Surround yourself only with the people who are going to take you higher."
The journey to success might be your path to follow but that doesn't mean it has to be a lonely one. And probably the most important thing to remember in life is that you cannot do this alone. You need the right people in your life that are going to lend a shoulder when you falter, kick your ass when you get lazy, catch you when you fall and ofcourse, lift you up when you fall.
The two Surprise acts for me were Scarlett Johansson as Ash & Taron Egerton as Johnny.
Ahhhhh Sigh* I'm even more in love with Scarlett now {if that was even possible}. As if being smoking hot, a great actress and humble woman wasn't enough. She hadto go and rock out with her fine self. #MadLove for her and for rock music!!
She's also going to be starring in the live action Ghost in a Shell movie, #Nerdgasm for all anime fans.
I had no idea this guy could sing let alone so damn well. I honestly thought it was Bruno mars or John Legend when Johnny the Gorilla auditions. It was only until now upon my research for this post that I found out who Johnny was let alone that He was "Eggsy" from one of my favorite secret agent movies of all time.
#Badass Talent certified!
Johnny is probably my favorite character in terms of style, singing slash talent and family drama rama.
Well Shell Bell Mell, I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this animated feature film and more to the point have enjoyed every release from Illumination Entertainment so far. Despicable Me 1 & 2, Minions, The Secret Life of Pets {Super feels and pet love} and now Sing 2016!
Here's to more successes and fantastic releases in the future.
Personal rating: 10/10
I; Enricoh Alfonzo; undoubtedly, vehemently, and whole-heartedly recommend this movie to everyone.
Especially Artists looking for motivation this festive season.
Lastly I just wanna comment on the awesomosity that is the Sandton Prestige Cinema.
Such Comfortability!
Every cinema should be like this, in fact I never want to watch a movie any other way! The seats are similar to the ones in the pic above and have a button that automates the recliner for you. If I had one of these at home I would probably never leave the TV haha.
Book your ticket now!!
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For My US resident readers Check out this Awesometastical Giveaway Worth $100,000!!! Yes you heard me ONE Hundred Thousand Dollars. You'd haveta be cray cray in the hay hay to not enter. Regardless of your chances.
