The 4th of July is right around the corner

 This is such a great time to have a go at patriotic crafts – either for yourself or with kids. Here are some simple and fun DIY crafts to help you celebrate this wonderful American holiday. In most cases, you can use materials around the house or head to the craft store.

Above Picture: Bottle cap wreath. Use foam board paper to cut out circle. Paint bottle caps and hot glue in place. Add ribbon.

Below Photo: Clothes Pin wreath. Use foam board paper, cut out a thin circle. Paint clothes pins, Use stickers for stars. hot glue clothes pins into place.

Helpful hints..

Here is an extremely useful sleep life hack for those who have trouble sleeping. Not having proper sleep can have vast negative impacts on your body. Get 2 hours of sleep in 20 minutes!

Life hacks anyone over 50 should know Part 2

Life hacks continued...

13. Use two-sided tape on area rugs to keep them in place.

14. Replace your aging parents' area rugs with wall-to-wall carpeting to minimize falls.

15. Use cold cucumbers to reduce eye puffiness. Cucumbers contain antioxidants that are thought to reduce irritation, while the cooling effect reduces swelling.

16. Carry a big scarf with you 24/7. It's as good as a shawl in overly air-conditioned restaurants, movies and airplanes and can double for sun protection at beaches and outdoor cafes.

17. Give charitable donations as gifts. Most charities notify the honoree only that a donation was made in their name from you and leave the amount out. You can appear to be a bigger spender and do some good in the meantime.

18. Have a big event and want to look glamorous? Make an appointment at a department store makeup counter for a makeover with their products. Sure they'll try to sell you stuff, but buy the least expensive item and tell them you'll think about the rest.

19. Feet making your shoes a bit odoriferous? Try sticking a dry teabag in each shoe overnight to reduce the smell.

20. Have trust issues with your GPS? Highway sign tip: If the exit sign is on the left of the sign, the exit itself will be on the left. If it's on the right, the exit will be on the right.

21. In a rental car, look at the little icon for the gas pump. The direction the gas handle is pointing is the side where you put your gas in.

22. Carry a nightlight with you when you stay in hotels. Sleeping in unfamiliar territory and trying to find your way to the bathroom in the dark can be a challenge for anyone.

23. Attach a small vial of hand sanitizer to the outside of your purse and use it liberally when you are out in public places. Escalators, elevator buttons, door handles are all germ territory.

24. Make your own emergency first aid kit by stuffing into an old prescription bottle: two bandages, a tiny sample of antibiotic ointment and -- if you are caregiving for a heart patient -- some nitroglycerin tablets.

25. A frozen wet sponge in a Ziploc bag makes for a great icepack that won't leak.

Life Hacks anyone over 50 should know

                                        

Who doesn't need life to be made a little bit easier? Below are 12 tips to do precisely that. Readers are invited to post their own life hacks below in comments.

1. Take a photo with your phone of where you park your car at the mall. That way, when you misplace the ticket you can at least show the nice security guard where your car is.

2. Take a cell photo of a list of all the medications used by relatives in your care. It's handy to have it in case of an emergency or when you take your mother to see a new doctor.

3. To get rid of your turkey neck in photos, photographers recommend that you stick your neck out and tuck your chin down.

4. To make your smile look bigger in photos, squint your eyes just a little.

5. Use nail polish to paint a colored dot on the end of your mom's keys to help her remember which one unlocks what. Green for front door; red for back door; etc.

6. Use a hanging shoe rack to store cleaning supplies inside the pantry door. It eliminates having to crawl under the sink to find the ones you use most frequently.

7. Can't hear the alarm clock? Set the alarm on your smartphone and put it in an empty glass near your bed. The sound will be amplified.

8. When a friend borrows a tool or book, snap a photo of them holding it so you'll remember later where it went.

9. Mark the side of your water bottle by hours so that you can keep track of what you've had to drink and will stay hydrated.

10. Take a photo of the inside of your refrigerator to help you remember what you need at the grocery store.

11. Use the clasps of an old skirt hanger to keep your cords from tangling and being tripped over.

12. When you downsize your house, consider buying a well-made foldout cot instead of a pullout sofa. Your guests will thank you.

13. Use two-sided tape on area rugs to keep them in place.

Kids Crafts: Ocean Flower Pot

This whimsical ocean flower pot makes a great summer decoration. Kids will love working with the different materials and textures that go into making this unique craft. Let them use their imaginations to decorate the pot however they would like!


What you'll need:

• Small clay pot
• Light blue, light brown, green, red and purple paint
• White glue
• Hot glue gun
• Sand
• Paint brushes
• Dyed  pasta shells (with food coloring)

How to make your Ocean Flower Pot Craft:

• Paint the top half of the flower pot light blue. Paint the bottom half of the flower pot light brown.
• Mix some white glue into the brown paint and heavily apply the mixture over the brown area of the pot. Sprinkle on some sand while the mixture is still wet.
• Once the sand is dry, use the red paint to paint a crab walking along the sand. Paint seaweed growing out of the sand and a fish or two swimming by. Use your imagination!
• Use the hot glue gun and attach the dyed pasta shells around the rim of the flower pot. Please do not let your children do this step unless they are old enough to respect the glue gun and are well supervised.
• Plant your favorite flower!

Kid's Crafts: Beach Frame Craft

Need a good way to display your favorite beach photo? Try making our beach frame craft! This frame is simple to make but looks fantastic on a mantel. This craft is also a great way to save and display special shells you found on your trip to the beach. With real sand and real seashells this beach frame craft is a great way to capture your summertime memories.

 What you'll need:

• Unfinished wooden frame (available at all craft stores)
• Seashells
• Light blue and brown paint
• White glue
• Hot glue gun
• Paint brushes
• Sand
• A favorite picture

How to make your Beach Frame Craft:

• Paint the top half of the picture frame light blue. Paint the bottom half of the frame light brown.
• Mix a little bit of white glue into the brown paint and paint it onto the brown portion of the frame very heavily. Sprinkle this area with sand quickly before the paint/glue dries.
• After the sand portion has dried, use a hot glue gun to attach the seashells to your frame. We found white glue was not strong enough to hold actual shells. Please do not let your children do this step unless they are old enough to respect the glue gun and are well supervised.
• Add your favorite photo!

Clothespin Table Vase

It’s so easy to create instant charm with ordinary clothespins! Here, a band, made by simply clipping the pins to the rim of a juice glass, mimics a small-scale corral, giving the bouquet on-the-spot country-chic appeal.

What you’ll need:
1 rubber band
1 glass tumbler (Perfect choices: a 10 to 12 oz. juice glass or double old-fashioned cocktail tumbler with straight sides)
1 1/2 dozen wooden spring-hinged clothespins
Spool of twine or thin ribbon

To do: Stretch the rubber band around the glass tumbler. Then slip the clothespins under the band until the glass is completely covered. Finish by tying on decorative twine or ribbon to hide the rubber band.