DIY Duct Tape Bunting – With Pokemon Design – #CraftChallenge

Posted on September 28, 2015 by A Pop of Red

One decor trend that popped up a few years ago is bunting (also known as pennants) and this trend is still going strong today. I definitely get why. Bunting is such a simple but elegant way to add a splash to your regular decor, or amp up a party atmosphere. Plus you can make it with just about everything: paper, fabric, wood, and as I am showing you today, duct tape!

Duct Tape Bunting Craft

With the craft challenge theme this month being duct tape I figured I had two options. I could make a duct tape purse that would take forever to work out the details and drive myself crazy in the process. OR I could make something simple and useful in my day to day life. And that is why I decided on bunting.

Craft Challenge

Now I made two different buntings with two themes and designs so you could see the versatility (plus I needed more decor). The instructions however are essentially the same.

DIY Duct Tape Bunting

Start with the basics

Collect materials: scissors, ruler/measuring tape, duct tape, twine
Make a template for your design by
Cutting off a piece of duct tape 14-18 cm long
Folding the duct tape in half along the short side (width show be 5cm and length around 7cm) *Be careful to not get the duct tape stuck to itself when it isn’t properly lined up, it is hard to get off!
Adding any extra design elements (like white/black tape in pokeball design)
Cutting the bottom to your liking (triangle, chevron, or domed finish for instance)

Craft Challenge - Duct Tape Bunting and Pennants

Once you are happy with your design, it’s time to make some bunting

Cut a piece of twine about 2m long (technically you only need 190cm to fit 12 pieces on)
Measure 10cm from one end, then place your first bunting following your template
Keep 10cm between each bunting piece and continue to add them until you are left with 10cm of twine
Affix to a wall, bannister, window frame, etc.

And that is it!

DIY Pokemon Bunting with Duct Tape

As I said, I made two versions for myself so far. The first is a simple burlap bunting made with a burlap designed duct tape so all I needed to do was cut the shape I wanted which in this case was a chevron finish. And voila! There are lots of other themed or designed duct tapes out there so the options are limitless. I have good luck with the Duck Brand and you can get 10% their online store via this link.

DIY Duct Tape Pennant

My second design is a bit more complicated but super fun. I am having a Pokemon party at my house in a couple weeks and I figured why not make some decor for that while I am making bunting! So I chose a Pokeball design using red duct tape, white duct tape, and black duct tape. Note, you could swap out the black and white tapes for a similar type like colour coding tape or electrical tape. I made the base of the design using the method above with the red duct tape. Then wrapped black duct tape in the centre followed by white duct tape on the lower half like a pokeball. Using a craft knife I cut out circles from the white tape to use as the centre dot on the pokeball. And done, nice and simple.

Pokemon Pokeball Bunting

Check out the other craft challenge bloggers to see what they came up with for the Duct Tape Challenge by clicking the image below!

Posted in Craft Challenge, DIY | Tagged Craft, craft challenge, DIY, Make It Monday | Leave a comment

Giveaway! National Women’s Show in Ottawa – October 24/25

Posted on September 22, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Back in the springtime I was asked to be an official blogger for the National Women’s Show. I ended up having an awesome day out with a close friend of mine. We ate lots of food, tried some new products, did a little shopping, and saw some demos. But we didn’t even scratch the surface of all the things there are to do at this semi-annual event! So when I was asked to attend again, I was all in!

Of course, this means there are perks for you too! First a giveaway where two lucky people will win a pair of tickets each to the Fall version the National Women’s Show in Ottawa. Second, a discount code for everyone! Just enter the word HOUSE when buying your tickets online (online only).

So why should you go to the National Women’s Show?

Well do you like any of the following? Fashion, beauty, food, travel, career development, house/home tips, makeovers, shopping, free goodies. If you like any one of those things you should come out to the show, and if you like more than one I am surprised you haven’t bought a ticket already! Click here to see what I liked most from the spring show.

The schedule for all the events and demos is not posted yet, but as soon as I see it I will be sure to share a link here. But you can expect:

Celebrity speakers like Christian Le Blanc of Y&R, performances from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, and Fashion Shows on the Centre Stage
A beauty bar run by the Ottawa Academy with free mini manicures and makeovers
A culinary stage with tips and tricks for your kitchen (I highly recommend hanging out here for a couple demos!)
And information sessions about all sorts of health, life, and travel information sessions at the Life and Learning Stage

The show is happening October 24-25 at the EY Centre in Ottawa South. Be sure note the change in location from the spring show when you head to the event!

Now for the giveaway! Just fill in your email and name then the giveaway options will appear. You get one entry without having to do anything at all but you can get extras by following A Pop of Red on social media or commenting on the blog.

Entry -Form

Posted in Events and Travel | Tagged conventions, events, giveaway, Life, Ottawa | 8 Comments

DIY Body Scrubs – #CraftChallenge

Posted on August 31, 2015 by A Pop of Red

I have been keeping really busy lately. Doing work around the house, taking visiting friends around town, hosting parties, on top of the usual work and blogging. After such busy activities it is always good to come home and relax in a warm bath. But there is something even BETTER: Bathing with body scrubs and tending to your feet with a foot scrub.

DIY Body Scrub Gifts

I’m not much for makeup, fancy creams, or any of that stuff, but boy am I sold on scrubs. So much so that I did some research and came up with DIY versions!

Why do I like DIY body scrubs so much?

Well, the primary reason is they feel good. Like really good. They feel like you are getting a massage or professional treatment done but you never have to leave the house! They also leave a lasting moisture on your skin (not oily, just moist).

Making your own body scrubs also means you control what goes in them. Adding salt or sugar helps exfoliate skin (remove dead skin) and can relieve itching around dry skin. Adding oil, in particular coconut oil, will also moisturize your skin. So you get all these great skin benefits without trying to figure out what the weird ingredients are because there are none!

Finally, I like DIY body scrubs because they are easy! Easy to make. Easy to use. Easy to gift. I’ve started having long baths more often just for an excuse to use these pots of greatness. And I will be including them in some gifts this Christmas for sure!

Craft Challenge

Now today’s post also coincides with the August Craft Challenge and our theme was Dollar store crafts. That means you can make this DIY (which includes 3 body scrubs) with mainly dollar store items! If you see a * that means you can get it at a dollar store!

The DIY recipes below will allow you to make 3 body scrubs: epsom scrub for the feet, salt scrub for dry/hard skin, and sugar scrub for the body. None of these should be used on the face, I will give another DIY for a face scrub soon enough.

DIY Body Scrubs

DIY Foot Scrub
2/3 cup epsom salt*
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp flavour extract (like peppermint)*
1 drop food colouring (optional)*

DIY Salt Body Scrub
2/3 cup coarse salt (sea salt)*
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp flavour extract*
1 drop food colouring (optional)*

DIY Sugar Body Scrub
2/3 cup white sugar*
3 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp flavour extract*
1 drop food colouring (optional)*

Notes:

Simply combine ingredients and stir until the overall texture is a thin paste.
Change up the scent by changing the extract OR use essential oils for more benefits. If using essential oils just use 4-5 drops, they are far more powerful than extracts!
Use food colouring to help tell apart the different scrubs, otherwise they are all white!
And you can opt NOT to use the extract or colour for a simpler scrub.

DIY Body Scrub - Perfect for Gifts Now, if these are gifts (or if you want to glam up your bath routine) grab some mini canning jars*, paint* and washi/craft tape* from the dollar store. Paint the lid and wrap the tape along the rim. Voila, instant fancy!

I will also be designing some labels and gift tags to go with these DIY scrubs so stay tuned for those! In the meantime, go check out the other Craft Challenge bloggers to see what they came up with for the Dollarstore Challenge!

Posted in Craft Challenge, DIY | Tagged craft challenge, DIY, gifts, Make It Monday | 1 Comment

Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts

Posted on August 28, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Avocado brownies with hazelnuts recipe I’m not going to lie, I have some BAD eating habits. These habit usually pop up whenever I forget to prep food for lunch, am stressed out, or am being generally lazy. The worst of my habits is sugar. I like sweets of all kinds and when I want them, I have them!

But, I always want to improve and I now find myself surrounded by people with good eating habits: my coworkers. Two of my coworkers eat mainly raw vegetables and fruits with the odd meat based meal thrown in. Another brings a simple salad for lunch and a sandwich for afternoon munchie bashing. And others have other good habits to emulate.

While I haven’t committed to any of their eating styles, I am taking a few ideas to help me improve. The most recent idea? One of my coworkers mentioned he was interested in trying sweets made from vegetable bases, in particular, brownies. We discussed the merits of black bean brownies, zucchini brownies, and finally decided that avocado brownies sounded like the best bet for keeping that glorious moistness we all know brownies for.

Avocado brownies with hazelnuts - a pop of red

And so I set to experimenting. I wanted to see if I could come up with an avocado brownie recipe that I would actually eat. Not because I had to for some diet, but because it actually tasted good! After several trials and lots of coworker taste testing, I had it! A recipe for avocado brownies that you now get to see and hopefully make for yourselves!

Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts

1 large avocado, mashed (1/2 cup mashed)
3-4 oz. chocolate, melted (semi sweet or unsweetened)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cocoa
dash of salt

Make your own avocado brownies with no sugar

Combine the mashed avocado, melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and honey in a medium bowl. Mix well and beat until fairly smooth (some small avocado chunks are okay).

Combine flour, baking powder, hazelnuts, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.

Spread mixture into a 8×8 lined or greased pan and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes or when middle of pan no longer “jiggles.”

Let cool slightly then cut into squares and serve warm.

Quick and simple avocado brownies

These brownies can be eaten warm or cool. The brownies keep up to a week in a sealed container at room temperature OR up to two weeks in a sealed container in the fridge. I have not tried freezing these brownies as of yet (they are always eaten first).

A couple things to note.

This brownie works well with and without icing. I am currently working on a suitable icing for that matches the healthy feel of the brownie itself.
To make a moister brownie, add more melted chocolate.
Cut the amount of cocoa by half for less bitterness but my taste testers (coworkers) liked this recipe best as is!
Make substitutions to make this gluten free or vegan! Almond flour in place of flour. Flax instead of eggs. And other changes as necessary.

Posted in Food, Recipe | Tagged Food, Foodie Friday, Healthy, Recipe | 5 Comments

5 Lessons for Adults – No more school!

Posted on August 20, 2015 by A Pop of Red

No more teachers, no more books…you know how the rest goes.

For the first time in 18 years, I will not be going to school in the fall. I finished my university courses last December and officially graduated in June. Hooray!

So with fancy piece of paper in hand I am off to start the next stage of my life and finally take a break from all this school stuff. No more awkwardly timed lectures, no more buying textbooks or school supplies, no more late night studying, and certainly no more exam stress. What a great thought!

But now I have to get used to having a real life again. A life (somewhat) comparable to the summers in grade school. At camp or an activity during the day, then having fun in the evenings. Now it is just a little less entertaining though time wise the same: work in the day and activities during the night.

But what do you do with the evening time (or off work time)? You don’t have to study, or do assignments, or plan out your next research paper. Instead you get to start learning how to live. You see learning never really stops, it just transforms.

Here are 5 lessons for adults. These are five things I felt I had to learn (for the first time or to relearn) after school was out. And it is not as easy as reading a couple textbooks and doing some exercises, you learn these things in an on-going process. So here is your new lesson plan:

Five Lessons for Adults

1. HOW TO SCHEDULE TIME. Now that you are no longer force fed random schedules consisting of lectures, working groups, study sessions and the like, you need to get used to organizing your own time again. Maybe you are working a 9-5 now, or just have a regular repeating schedule each week, regardless, you now have a core part of your day whisked away right off the bat. You need to schedule the chores, meals, entertainment, and fitness activities into the remaining part of your day. Just be sure to make sure you don’t over do it and exhaust yourself!

Everyone has a different method of scheduling too so because to experiment and find what works for you. Maybe a daily planner, maybe alerts on your phone or email, or perhaps you like the good old to-do list. There are plenty of resources to get you started!

2. HOW TO HANDLE MONEY. No more tuition payments means one less financial pit to worry about. Without that huge amount coming out of you account it is perfect time to think about saving and budgeting. Do you have debt to pay off? Do you want to buy a house? What about a car? How about kids? Everyone’s financial situation is different so I suggest doing some research and deciding the best way to get to the financial status you want to have.

3. HOW TO KEEP HOUSE. Be able to keep house! Chores, paperwork, cooking, and minor repairs. No more messy rez room with maids coming once a week, no food plan, and no student help centres. Even if you aren’t in charge of these things now, it is time to kick the learning into high gear. You have the time and at some point you will be responsible for a home, if not for others, so make sure you are ready!

At a minimum I suggest learning how to handle paperwork like utilities, health care, rent and home purchasing papers, and ID papers. For chores you should be able to do dishes (with and without a machine), wash laundry, clean floors, and manage garbage. Be able to cook two difference recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus some treats. As for repairs, change a lightbulb, assemble furniture, turn off the water/gas, change your oil, and change a tire. Those things should hold you over for most of adulthood. Pick up some other skills along the way and you are golden.

4. HOW TO BE YOURSELF. Spending hours partying or holed up in your room studying are probably not the best ideas moving forward. But you still need to leave time for you. Taking time to rest, enjoy your hobbies, take in nature, and do whatever else makes you happy is important to keeping you feeling good. Mentally, emotionally and physically. Not much more to say here!

5. HOW TO PLAN YOUR FUTURE. When you are in school, the future is adulthood and a working life. But now you are there! That means you have to figure out what the future means to you again and learn how to get there. Maybe you want to be CEO in 15 years and retire at 50 to a yacht club lifestyle. Or perhaps you want to save up, travel the world, and become a yogi. Settling down more your thing? Then learn what parenting really takes and start investing in your family. What ever your future may look like there is a path to be had and you have to continually learn to be on it!

What do you think of these lessons? What lessons would you add?
Let us know in the comments below!

Posted in Life | Tagged Career, Life, Thoughtful Thursday, University | 6 Comments

Homemade Banana Bread

Posted on August 7, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Homemade banana bread recipe My husband is one of those people who could eat the same food day in and day out without growing tired of it. This goes for all kinds of food: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts. Which can make it hard to experiment sometimes because our conversations go something like this:

Me: I want to try something new tonight. Experiment a little. Any ideas?
Husband: Food.
M: What kind of food?
H: I could go for something sweet.
M: Okay. What about…
H: Cookies!
M: Oh, I can try these new cookies with…
H: Chocolate chips? Uh-huh!
M: Not quite what I meant but okay.

Banana walnut bread recipe

And so I cook or bake the usual nearly every time. But there has been some progress lately. If I don’t tell him I am making something new and he likes it, then this new item becomes his latest fixation.

The latest item that this little trick worked on? Homemade Banana Bread.

Banana bread loaf recipe

We are on loaf number 3 in the past two weeks alone. And my husband is still requesting it. All three were not eaten by my husband and I. I did take one loaf to work to share and get feedback.

What does that mean? Well I think you should try it for yourself because clearly it is a hit with my family and coworkers. In fact, I am going to cut this post short and just say TRY IT because three loaves in 2 weeks says you will love it.

Homemade Banana Bread

delicious banana bread

¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 bananas, ripe and mashed
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups white flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cup walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a loaf pan or line muffin tins.
Cream the sugars, honey and butter together in a large bowl.
Add the eggs and mashed bananas to the bowl and beat into mixture.
In a small bowl add all dry ingredients and mix.
Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring to combine.
Add dough to the loaf pan or muffin tin.
For loaf, bake at 350F for an hour. Do NOT take it out early or you will have a wet spot at the top of your loaf. For muffins, bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.

This recipe makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins.

Delicious banana bread from scratch - A Pop of Red

Posted in Food | Tagged Breakfast, Food, Foodie Friday, Recipe | 6 Comments

DIY Clown Fish Plushie with Free Pattern – #CraftChallenge 2015

Posted on July 27, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Two things to celebrate today:

It’s time for another Craft Challenge!
I’m going to be an aunt by the new year!

I have to say, I think the second one has me a little more excited. Reasonable? I think so.

With a new family member on the way I get to think about baby related things especially things I can DIY. When my step-sister had her baby she requested I make her an infinity scarf that could be used as a nursing cover. No problem. My real sister has not really said any specific thing yet so I am looking around for ideas on my own.

And the first idea was perfect for today’s Craft Challenge: a DIY Clown Fish Plushie.

You see, my sister is a teacher and also a very practical person. This has led her to wanting all animal related toys for her baby to be realistic. No pink cats, no elephants with ears bigger than their bodies, and no dogs flying airplanes (sorry Snoopy). So, I set out to make a realistic toy.

Now there are lots of animals to choose from and I may make more after this, but to start I chose a fish. Why? Well, there seems to be a lack of DIY realistic fish toys.

Maybe it’s because it is harder to make believe play in an ocean? Maybe fish are not as interesting as other animals? Maybe it’s the lack of appendages? Who knows? All I know is that after seeing a lack of fish I knew I wanted to give people an option.

And voila, now YOU can make a DIY Clown Fish Plushie using my pattern!

DIY Clown Fish Plushie

Materials:

A fat quarter’s worth of two colours of fabric. That is 18” x 22” of fabric TOTAL.
The pattern
Shears/Scissors
Thread
Needle
Buttons (2)
Embroidery thread
Sewing machine (optional, makes it fast)

Steps:

*These steps are printed in the pattern as well.

Cut all pattern pieces and fabric to match. The head and tail pieces should be the same colour, all else is to your discretion.
Sew the two head pieces together (right side of fabric to right side). DO NOT sew along the long flat side.
Attach body pieces 2 and 3 being sure to include the side fins in the seam (place fin in between 2 and 3 when right sides are together then sew). DO NOT sew the top (short edge) of 2 and 3.
Sew closed the short ends of the dorsal fin then flip right side out.
Pin the dorsal fin to the top of 2 and 3 with right sides together. Sew this edge closed to form a tube.
Attach body piece 4 to 3. Right sides together and not sewing the top again.
Attach body piece 5 to 4. Right sides together and not sewing the top again. Also, DO NOT sew the tail end (short edge) of 5 closed, this space is for the tail fin.
Sew the top line of 4 and 5 closed adding to your “tube” shaped body.
Sew the tail fin into the end of body piece 5. Be sure the body tube is inside out when doing this with the tail hidden inside. Invert the fish and make sure the tail sticks out as it should.
Sew the head onto to the body with right sides together. Be sure to leave a small opening to flip the fish right side out (you will likely need to invert it while sewing the head on).
Stuff the fish then sew closed the opening.
Sew on a button eye to each side and use the embroidery thread to stitch in a mouth.

That’s it! Your fish is ready to play.

I made three of these fish and noticed huge improvements each time so do not worry if you make one and it isn’t quite right. It will work out!

Also, seeing as this is my first sewing pattern I would love some feedback and suggestions. Let me know what you think of it in the comments or on social media. I hosted it on Craftsy as another blogger who specializes in sewing really recommended it. It allows you to save the pattern, go back to it at any time, and share your finished product.

Be sure to check out what the other Craft Challenge blogger have made for the sewing theme by clicking their images below! Our newcomer Sandy certainly thought outside the box.

Posted in Craft Challenge, DIY | Tagged Craft, craft challenge, DIY, family, free pattern, pattern, sewing | Leave a comment

My career in 15 years – Letters to myself

Posted on July 16, 2015 by A Pop of Red

First of all, here is my letter to my future self (at nearly 40 years old). This is the final career planning letter I wrote to myself. At the end of this post you will see my takeaways from this process including the things I found out were important to me.

Edited for privacy.

Emily,

Fifteen years from today, you will be 39. I never realized before how close 25 and 40 were. But at the same time, so much can happen in a 15 year timespan. So, as suggested by one of my workplace mentors I have decided to write a letter to you, my future self, about where I hope to be after a 15 year career. The five and ten year letters took a lot of thought to write and this letter is more of the same.

In fifteen years’ time, I hope to be one of two things if I remained with my current employer. Option A, be in the management stream. Option B, be a senior analyst of a dynamic area with the option to do external work as well. Either of these options should see me at or above $$$ with benefits. The money at this point is hopefully going to a mix of retirement saving and purchasing of life experiences (also known as travel).

At this point in my career, I want a variety of opportunities available to me: external requests, advisory services, statistical analysis, human resources, and whatever else can be thrown my way. But, I want to have the capacity to delegate and thus choose which of these I work on. I have seen many people in my career thus far fail to delegate and they end up stressed and unhappy with their work. I do not want to lose my passion and drive even if it means letting go of control (and I like control).

If I switch to my back-up career then I hope to be successfully established as a business analyst either full-time or as a consultant. Or I hope to have broken into the supply chain management field to apply sustainable and profitable practices at all levels. With either of these options I hope to have a flexible schedule. A full schedule is fine, but I want it to be on MY TIME.

I am not going to lie part of me feels like I will fall short of what I wish for in this letter. But it is up to me, or rather you by the 15 year mark, to get there and I can make my future what I want it to be if I work at it.

Emily Marie
July 15, 2015

Click here to see the five year letter

Click here to see the ten year letter

So, three letters and fifteen years of career building forecasted, what have I learned from this experience?

First, I learned what career paths actually interest me. This was the primary goal of me seeking out a mentor in the first place. No one I am close to has gone the office job route so I had no idea of what career paths were out there let alone which one I was interested in. But after writing these letters I got a better sense of what directions to take. I ended up with two major options: go into management or become a better analyst.

The management stream will allow me to diversify my work more and exercise some control BUT there is chance for dealing with conflict and not so awesome situations and I don’t know if I am ready for that. Regardless, I have started looking into management by talking with my mentor (a manager herself), attending information sessions, and other career development activities where I can ask questions about this work stream. So far this route looks promising and the more I learn the more I think this is the way to go.

The analyst stream will allow me to delve further into my passion for data but could limit opportunities for diversity of work since this route tends to favour specialization. I think this comes down more to how much I am willing to push for opportunities outside my regular workload. And to be honest, I will push and I will push hard! I am already looking at some opportunities in event coordination, information management, and more. Just dipping my toe in the water to see what works for me but I have more direction now than I did prior to writing these letters to myself.

Next I realized what is important to me for ANY job. There are always things that a deal breakers for us and I did not realized how much these two factors weigh my decisions regarding career progression. Diversity and Positivity. Those are my job must haves. A job must be able to offer me diverse activities or opportunities to keep me motivated. I like to spread my wings and explore new things so my jobs should reflect this. But I also need to keep in mind that opportunities are for those who discover them and that means I need to do work to FIND said diversity.

Positivity to me means an encouraging atmosphere, a collaborative team, and a happy me. An encouraging workplace means that not only am I pushed to do my best but my teammates have the same. This means we all progress and support each other as a collaborative team, something that is not always found in jobs, trust me! I have worked in an environment before where credit was not given to those who deserved it, coworkers trashed each others work when talking to other people, and frowns were more common than smiles. I am NOT going to go back to an environment like that. And a happy me is important too. I need to be sure that I am happy, healthy, and have a good relationship with my husband. If this piece is missing from the puzzle then I will not be performing my best in my job.

Finally, I realized that I am a complex person that apparently cannot decide between flexibility and stability. But really these things can work together. I want a flexible working arrangement one day so that I can enjoy what life has to offer but I also want a stable home life where we don’t have to worry about money. I can have both but I have to work to carve a path to get there and it may not be easy. Flexibility and stability can co-exist, but one cannot outweigh the other. This means carefully building a career that allows for this balance, and this is work I am willing to do.

So if YOU are stuck and cannot figure out your next career steps, pick up a pen and paper and start writing. You will realize what is important to you and start getting some ideas. The best part, it all comes from you and goes towards building the future you.

Posted in Life | Tagged Career, Life, Thoughtful Thursday | Leave a comment

Banana Nut Oatmeal – Just like instant!

Posted on July 10, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Banana nut instant oatmeal The other day I went grocery shopping, which to be quite honest is not an eventful excursion. While I was strolling through the aisles I saw packaged instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal used to be a staple breakfast food for me both as a child and as a student, but I haven’t had it in ages. So for nostalgia’s sake I decided I would pick up a box.

Recipe for banana nut oatmeal - healthy eating

Now of course adult me had to chime in. I said no to the sugary version of packaged oatmeal. No cookies and cream, no maple brown sugar, and no sugar sprinkles. Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast option if you let it be, so I opted for a flavour I had never tried: Banana Nut Oatmeal.

It seemed so good in theory. The oatmeal base that I love, freeze dried bananas, mixed nuts, and a little cinnamon all in one convenient package. Add water and done. But when I made it, my nostalgia faded…

The oatmeal did not expand.

Make your own banana nut oatmeal

At first I thought it might have been a mistaken memory. Maybe oatmeal doesn’t actually expand and it was just over watered by my parents to make it seem like more. But after a quick search I realized quick oatmeal and rolled oats ARE supposed to expand to roughly double the initial amount (hey parents, you are in the clear).

Now when I poured out this oatmeal package and added water the first time, it became soup. Not enjoyable. The second time I took my time adding the water to give it time to expand. Still nothing, thicker this time but the oats did not expand at all and I was left with far less food to start my busy day than expected.

So what do I do? I start experimenting.

Banana nut oatmeal recipe

If pre-packaged oatmeal is not acting the way I want it to, then I will just have to recreate the flavour AND the expanding oats I remember. And so I compared the ingredient list to what I would expect in a Banana Nut Oatmeal and ended up with a delicious (and still instant!) oatmeal recipe.

And of course as a blogger I need to share the recipe with you so here it is!

DIY Banana nut oatmeal

Banana Nut Oatmeal

1 ½ cups oats
1/3 cups roughly chopped walnuts
4 tsp brown sugar
3 tsp Omega Crunch Roasted Maple Flax Seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
½ banana chopped OR ½ cup freeze dried bananas

Simply mix together all dry ingredients in advance. Note the Omega Crunch flax seeds are optional but these are great additions to your food and work wonderfully in this recipe for some added flavour and texture.
For one serving use 1/3 cup of the dry mix plus an equal amount of water. Adjust the water to achieve a thicker or thinner porridge.
If using freeze dried bananas, they can be added to the dry mix. If using fresh banana, add after the water to ensure the oats have sufficient time to soak up the water first.

And that’s it! Instant banana nut oatmeal ready to go when you are.

Instant oatmeal from scratch - banana nut oatmeal

P.S. I learned a little tip for fresh bananas while working on this recipe. Since you only need to use half the banana, save the other half for later. Simply cut the banana in half while the peel is still on, then place the unused half in a plastic sealed bag (like a zipper lock bag).The skin will brown but the banana will be fine though I do suggest chopping of a sliver of the exposed side before using.

Make your own banana nut instant oatmeal

Note: This post is NOT sponsored by Omega Crunch in any way. I came across their products at the National Women’s Show and fell in love with the taste and benefits. I honestly use their products and am glad to share a recipe I use them in regularly.

Posted in Food | Tagged Breakfast, Food, Foodie Friday, Fruit, Healthy, Recipe | 2 Comments

DIY Taillight Jewelry – #CraftChallenge 2015

Posted on June 29, 2015 by A Pop of Red

It’s time for another Craft Challenge! This month’s theme was jewelry and right from the start I knew I had two options to make something that really was true to me.

Option One: Wire wrap something. Wire wrapping is such an elegant jewelry form and it is something I really want to learn more about. BUT it I have some other posts planned to cover wire wrapping. So I steered clear of this option.

Option Two: Do something kind of weird. Specifically, do a jewelry upcycle with an item most people wouldn’t equate with jewelry. Got it! Now what?

Well. I wanted something with lot’s of colour and texture. Something bold since I tend to dress pretty casually. And something people will ask about. With all that in mind I decided I wanted to create…

Taillight Jewelry!

That is right. Taillights as in the lights that come off of your car. Now, seeing as I don’t have a car (or drive at all), and my husband was not about to rip off his taillights, I had to find a way to GET some.

Well, lo-and-behold, one of the barter groups I am a part of pulled through. One gent had a bunch of car parts for barter and wanted one of my items so I asked if he had access to these lights. I didn’t care if they were broken (actually saves time if they are) and so long as the are a coloured light covers they would be PERFECT. Thankfully, he had two sets of truck taillight covers so we sealed the deal and I got to crafting.

Now, if you are interesting in making taillight jewelry too, keep in mind that the possibilities are ENDLESS. I have made both a bracelet and a necklace but since the premise is you are making “charms” or “stones” from these lights, you can adapt them into any other jewelry item. I personally plan on making a multi-piece statement necklace out of the taillights next. I may also try to make a cuff like bracelet with the curved bits of the lights. (And my husband wants me to try making a heart)!

Note, I use the term “charm” to signify the use of the taillight piece as an attachment to a necklace or charm bracelet. Essentially this requires making a small hole in the piece to attach jump rings to so it will connect to the main chain. The term “stone” is used to signify the use of the taillight piece as if it were a stone in jewelry. This means you plan to attach this piece to a blank or glue it onto another surface.

With that said, let me show you how you can make your own taillight jewelry.

Here is what you need:

Taillight or brakelight covers (not the bulbs, just the coloured plastic covers)
Gloves and possibly safety goggles (pieces do fly off some times)
A tarp (to catch all the little shavings from sanding)
Shaping tools (use whatever you have but I suggest pliers and wrenches)
A hammer (just in case you have trouble breaking into the light, I did not need this)
Sand paper (finer grit is best)
Drill or Dremel (if making into a “charm”)
E6000 or similar glue (if using as a “stone”)
Jewelry supplies as needed (blanks, chains, jump rings, clasps, etc.)

Step One: Break off pieces of the taillight
Using gloves hands, a hammer, and whatever tools you need, break off a piece of the taillight. The size you need is relative to what you wish to make. Remember you can always break smaller bits off a large piece but you cannot enlarge a small one. It is better to pick a piece slightly bigger than what you want. Here are some sizes I broke off.

Step Two: Shape the piece
Make some marks or an outline (I used the tip of my pliers to carve the outline) on your taillight piece which shows the final shape and size you wish to achieve. Using your shaping tools, break off small pieces of the taillight to bring the edge as close to the outline as you can get. Be sure not to go too close or you may get a crack that shows up in your final piece. Chisels can help get a little extra edging done before the next step.

Step Three: Sand the piece
This is the most time consuming part and the amount of time you spend is relative to how much distance there is between your outline and the edge of the piece of taillight. Simply use sandpaper to shave that edge right to the outline. I also suggest sanding the top of the piece to remove any paint, grime, etc.

Step Four: “Polish” the piece
Now that the shape is right, it is time to make your piece SHINE! Simply paint a generous amount of clear nail polish on the top (where you just sanded) of the piece and let dry. This will hide all the sanding marks and really let the light reflect on the taillight jewelry. I put mine right in the sunlight here so you could hopefully see how much light comes through after being polished.

Step Five: Attach to your jewelry
*Note: NONE of the following are affiliate links, I just want to show you where to get things if you are making these yourself!

For my bracelet I bought a blank from Michael’s. There are similar ones on Amazon. To get the look I have, I used E6000 jewelry glue to attach the taillight “stone” to the blank. After letting it dry, I was ready to showcase my piece.

For my necklace, I got a starter kit with chain, clasps, and jump rings from Michael’s, however, I couldn’t find the kit online. I simply had to drill a tiny hole into the top of my taillight “charm,” feed a jump ring through it, and attach to the necklace chain. Once I attached the clasps, I was ready to put it on and share my creation.

Hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and if you want more jewelry inspiration check out the other #CraftChallenge bloggers:

*Note: Erika and Tinkerbell could not post this month. Erika specifically is unable to post due to illness, we wish her all the best!

Posted in Craft Challenge, DIY | Tagged Craft, craft challenge, DIY, Make It Monday, recycle, recycling, upcycle, upcycling | 4 Comments

A POP of Red