DIY "Inside Out" Inspired Bookmarks with Pom Pom Memory Orbs

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutMovieNight #CollectiveBias

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a total kid at heart. I love cartoons and I often discuss my favorite Disney flicks on my blog, but today I want to talk about one of my all time favorite cartoon movies - Inside Out. If you've seen it, then you know why I love the movie so much!

With humor and discussions about some of the harder lessons to learn in life all tied into one precious little movie, it's easy to see why it's such a favorite across the nation - especially in our house! My nieces and nephews all seem to be pretty big fans of Inside Out as well, so when I heard it was coming out on video I knew that we had to add a copy of it to our library.

Luckily, I just happened to be wandering around Target on the day it was released and into my cart it went; along with all the "essentials" that I decided I needed while I was browsing the aisles - like a new book, snack foods, a couple knick-knacks for our living room, a cozy blanket to snuggle up with, and some new clothes... Target does it to me every single time, I know I'm not the only one!

Regardless of my "anger" toward my inability to control my shopping addiction while at Target, I was excited to see they not only had Inside Out for sale, but on sale! SCORE, I love finding a bargain! Plus, I noticed that my copy is better since I bought it at Target! Why is it better? Inside Out DVDs and Blu-Rays purchased at Target include 20 minutes of exclusive bonus content and deleted scenes! How cool is that?

After filling my cart full of all kinds of goodies, I knew it was time to head home and start coming up with a craft I could do while watching the movie... because let's face it, I'm one of those people that's constantly fidgeting so I figured I might as well multi-task while watching one of my favorite flicks!

Since I had the new movie, a new book and a new fuzzy blanket, I turned to them for inspiration and I instantly knew that I needed some super colorful, fun, and funky bookmarks themed after my favorite movie - a mixture of all 3 of my new favorite items!

Making these little pom pom Inside Out bookmarks isn't hard at all, follow this DIY tutorial and you'll be able to express your emotions every single time you open a book.

First we'll start with making the pom-poms.... You'll wrap a piece of yarn, repeatedly around your pointer and middle finger, leaving a little tail in between those fingers.

Once you have your fingers throughly surrounded with yarn, you'll want to tie the two lose ends into a lose knot. Then use a short string to tie around both sides of the yarn, making it into a little donut like ball of sorts.

Once your donut ball is made, you'll want to cut evenly through each little piece of yarn. Allowing it to turn into a "poof". Go ahead and cut off excess yarn and your poofy little pom-poms are ready! I actually left ONE piece of yarn longer so that I could easily tape my pom pom to my bookmark, I suggest you do the same for easier assembly!

Next you'll want to print this FREE printable on cardstock, then cut each word out with a pair of scissors.

Attach your pom-pom to the top of each word with a piece of tape and your bookmarks are ready to use! It's that simple!

Now that I've shared how I made my super cute Inside Out emotion inspired bookmarks, I'd love to hear your opinion on the movie? Are you a huge fan of "Joy" and her crew or does the movie "Disgust" you? Tell me all about your favorite character in the movie and your favorite scene, I can't wait to hear which emotion you feel you can relate to the most!

DIY No-Sew Clutch Purse Tutorial + Be Healthy For Every Part of Life with These Date Night Essentials

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BeHealthyForEveryPartofLife #CollectiveBias

Can you guys even believe it's November? Life just flies by and after the shocking realization that we're smack dab in the middle of autumn, I also realized that hubby and I haven't had a date night in... I don't even really know how long. That's not cool in my book and we immediately decided that fact was going to change, pronto!

We've been planning on doing this or that, but with such busy schedules it's hard to coordinate an "official date night out". I'm sure you can relate, life gets in the way of having fun sometimes for most adults... but not for us this week.

This week, we made time for a date night. We giggled, we had a good time, and I had the chance to rock some cute new accessories - one of my favorite parts of going out on a date with the hubby is dressing up! Ah, married life!

While I love my hubs, I also love fashion, so it comes as no surprise that I love handbags. After updating my main purse to a sturdy and adorable black and white number, I needed a place to keep all my date-night must haves; that's where this DIY No-Sew Clutch comes into the picture.

As you probably already know, I'm the crafty type... but I haven't mastered sewing yet. It's on my to-do list, but for now this quick project is easy enough for a little kid to make and that's what makes it fun and perfect for a quick project before a date!

So what will you need to make a cute clutch like mine?

You will need:
Scissors
1/2 yard of a sturdy fabric
2 pieces of felt
Washable Fabric Glue

Step one of making this adorable little clutch is deciding on what piece of the pattern you want to use; or in my mind this was the logical first step... I'm going to be transparent here and admit I totally designed this purse based on the beautiful pattern. The size and shape are based purely on getting the full mandala on the backside of the purse... and I didn't take exact measurements until after it was made. With that said, I think that just means this project is that easy - you literally don't even need measurements. Regardless, my purse measures 8 inches x 12 inches.

After cutting your fabric, you'll want to make the "felt lining". To add my lining I simply cut about an inch off of each piece to make my purse interior and it's lining the size I desired. Placing the felt and folding the purse as if you were assembling it to make sure it's cut to the correct size.

After cutting it down and "testing" it to make sure it was the correct size, I used the fabric glue liberally and stuck the fabric to the felt.

The next step in this project is finalizing the outer seams of the purse. You'll want to apply a liberal line of glue down each outer edge and the middle/ bottom of the purse, as if you were using the glue as a sewing machine of sorts, sealing each edge. I allowed my project to dry with clothespins on the top "seam" for about an hour, to make sure no rough edges would show when the purse is closed.

The final step is adding in all of your purse essentials, now your little top-fold clutch is ready for date night!

So what are your date night essentials? I guess since I've shared my tutorial to make my cute little clutch, I should share what my date night essentials include... these must-have items are the things every gal should have stashed away in her purse in case of emergency, especially when going out on the town with her man!

First we'll start with the item in my clutch I love the most, my Chapstick Total Hydration. This 100% Natural, age defying, advanced nourishing formula with Argan oil, avocado butter, and rosehip oil is the best way to smooth and moisturize my lips! With a noticeable difference within minutes in the way my lips look, I would say that Chapstick Total Hydration is a new favorite for myself (and my hubby)... and just in case you were wondering, it is actually a clinically proven way to get healthier looking lips - not just my own little beauty secret!

Speaking of healthy, let's talk about the way we keep our immune systems nice and strong with Emergen-C. Offering more healthier days and more healthier nights, Emergen-C allows everyone to "let [their] healthy out". With a zingy orange flavor (as well as several other flavor options), I'm able to guzzle down over 20 varieties of vitamins in one drink, the perfect way to karate chop illness before it even gets to me and since I want hubby to remain healthy, I'm sure to always have an extra pack for him to sip on as well! No sneezing patrons at nearby tables, nor any adorable sniffling baby with a cold will threaten us with their germs, we'll just use an Emergen-C!

Next let's talk about Nexium 24HR, the #1 prescribed acid blocker brand (based on IMS health data: total Nexium® prescriptions 2006 - 2014). It's the answer to heartburn for us ol' married folk and it's been just what we needed more times than I can count. These tiny little pills offer all day, all night heartburn protection. But please note, they do sometimes take 1-4 days to offer the full effect and as always, use as directed.

Lastly, let's talk about the pain reliever that's been helping all of us deal with aches and pains for the past 25 years - Advil. I make sure I always have a little Advil Tablet Vial in my clutch at all times, because you never know when a headache or sore muscles will sneak up on you. I don't want hubby or myself to suffer from pain so I'm always stocked up on the strongest OTC pain reliever, because I know Advil is the only way to make sure the aches and pains go away quickly.

So as you can expect, our date was awesome. With all of the date night essentials on-hand we were able to ward off chapped lips, a head ache, and hand cramps from paddling too much...

Now don't get any ideas, we went out on the kayak for a few hours and just enjoyed spending time together out on the water with the sunshine on our faces. We also spent a little bit of time shopping and then chowed down on a delicious lunch at one of our favorite spots near by the mall. Simple, but the perfect little date with the perfect guy for me.

Whether you are planning a date, heading off to the first day on a new job, or just spending the evening in and watching a movie... It's good to be healthy for every part of life, so be sure to stock up on all the essentials for your family at Walmart!

So tell me, what do you bring with you on date night with your man? Is there any lipstick shade that you need to have in your bag? Also, if you decide to make one of these adorable little clutches, I'd love to see how it turns out, be to share it with me!

DIY Super Simple Fox and Owl Hanging Planter from a Soda Bottle!

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My house is my little sanctuary. Like most adults, I fill it with the things I love, the items I need, and little trinkets that make me smile. I'm doing my best at making sure I also don't throw too much away, since our planet is so full of stuff.

So that leads me to my DIY project for today. I found a new plant while grocery shopping the other day and I had to have it... but I didn't have anywhere to plant it. Of course, I could have planted it in our yard... But I wanted to plant it in a cute planter. My first thought was that I could buy one. Then I considered the price of the pot that I had looked at when I was shopping at my favorite discount store, it was $7.99; that's $4 more than the plant cost. So I decided I could make one or two...

That's right, I made a planter for my new little pink fuzzy plant... and I actually had a plant from my friend Rachel that I decided to make a pot for as well. So to get technical, I made TWO planters. But how?

Out of an old soda bottle. While we love the taste, soda isn't regularly our beverage of choice around here; so when we had a couple empty bottles, I knew I had to do something creative with them - I blame it on Pinterest.

I turned the Fanta bottle from this post into two adorable little hanging planters and it only took me about an hour to complete the project.

Do you want to make an old soda bottle into something useful and adorable? Here's how I made my little fox and owl:

What you'll need:

1 2 Liter Soda Bottle

1 Pair of Scissors
Waterproof Acrylic Paints

Paint Brushes
Hemp String
Exacto Knife
Clear Pebbles
Soil & Plants

To start, I cut the soda bottle in half and then cut the shapes of the animals into each half of the bottle. Making little triangle ears for my foxy friend and little bubbly, rounded eyes for my owl friend.

Next, I painted each animal. Giving the owl an almost all-over coat of grey and the fox a thin line around the top, just giving the top of his head the orange coloring like a fox would have. Let this layer dry.

After that, I added the white paint to each animal. Covering the bottom half of the owl and the fox with a thick white layer of paint.

Lastly, I added on the details, little white eyes with black circles and rectangles inside left white for the owl eyes. Tiny little beady eyes for the fox with a heart shaped nose. I added in little detailed lines around the owl, some feathers, a little bit of orange for his beak and he was set to start drying. The fox needed a little white on his ears, a little orange on his "neck" or the bottle cap, and a few little black lines to add some detail and he was also ready to dry.

I let both the fox and the owl dry for about 20 minutes and they were dry to the touch and ready to have string added as well as some pretty plants. Using an exacto-blade cut two small holes to each side of your animal face, about 1/3 of inch down. Use a fairly long piece of hemp to hang your planters and tie knots securely on both ends.

Now it's time to add the beautiful greenery, to start I added in a handful of "pebbles" purchased from the $1 store and a thick layer of dirt. Placed the plant properly in the planter and added another layer of dirt.

Lastly, I lifted both planters off the ground and made sure they were sturdy and balanced on the string! They worked perfectly and are now proudly displayed!

My little owl friend has replaced my Halloween wreath and looks fabulous next to my door that is colored almost exactly like the flowers!

My fox is towering over my little reading corner, looking out into the living room and beyond. These little planters are so cute and can be used indoor and outdoor - the perfect new addition to our house, if I don't say so myself!

Whether this is a project you attempt with the kids or it's a way for you to get your crafting fix, I'm sure you'll love the way your planters turn out as well! So simple to make, yet so incredibly cute! If you decide to make a set, be sure to show me how they turn out! Plus, what other animals would you like to see? I'm thinking a hippo will be next on my list... or maybe a little penguin?