How do you unwind?

As busy WAHMs we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves from time to time. One way I like to take a time out is to make a nice cup of tea. My favorite is Wild Strawberry from Teaporia. In the summer I take a chilled cup and sip on the front porch and take in the evening stars and air. Its a wonderful time to just take a deep breath and enjoy the quiet time to myself.

How do you like to unwind and take time for yourself?

Tell Liv's WAHM Blog about it and you can win free tea. Visit http://livswahmblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/tea-time.html.

Spring No-Snow Globe

Here's a twist on the traditional snow globe: fabric flowers, plastic figures, and a pinch of glitter in a recycled jar celebrate the coming of the warmer season.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
	Clean jar with lid
	Fabric flowers
	Small plastic figures
	Hot glue gun
	Floral wire (optional)
	Glitter and confetti
	Teflon tape, also called plumber's tape, found in hardware stores
	Scissors
	Green paper
Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours

1. Turn the lid upside down. Loosely arrange the flowers and figures on it, periodically placing the jar over the items to check for fit.

2. Use the hot glue gun to adhere the flowers and figures to the lid. To attach the butterfly in our globe, we first hot-glued the figure to one end of a piece of floral wire, then hot-glued the wire's other end to the lid.

3. Fill the jar with water to within a half inch from the top and add the glitter and confetti.

4. Dry the rim of the jar and wrap one layer of Teflon tape around the threads to ensure a leak-proof seal. Immerse the decorations in the jar and tighten the lid.

5. Cut and fringe the green paper to make a decorative base and glue it around the lid.

Find this craft and more at http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=12141

Refreshing water

As the summer approaches it is time to think about how to stay cool and refreshed. One way is water. While a glass of ice water on a hot day sounds wonderful, it can get boring. I like to add fresh fruit to flavor the water. Slices of strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, kiwi and strawberry, even grapes are wonderful. My all time favorite is pieces of watermelon leftover from the picnic. Just add as much or as little as you like. Add slices instead of chunks whenever possible. Do this the night before in a large pitcher allowing the flavor to infuse. For a light flavor this can be done with a single glass of water or a pitcher. No need to sweeten as the natural sugars of the fruit will take care of that. Mix different fruits for a variety of flavor combinations. Berries with citrus can be wonderful. Apples and melon can be very refreshing. Kids love it. Add a splash of club soda and you have a fresh and light flavored soda without all the calories and sugar. For a deeper infusion add hot water, not boiling, to approximately 4 cups of sliced fruit per gallon of water. Allow to cool before placing in refrigerator. Experiment on your own and find your perfect blend. Feel free to share with us.