Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Do you get inspired from magazine articles? Though I do not read many magazines, I scan pages for ideas. One magazine I enjoy skimming is “Martha Stewart Living.”

Now, I do not have my own garden, bake from scratch, make my own spices, entertain each week, sew, or make my own centerpieces and décor.

However, I am a homemaker, event planner, and organizer, so I love picking out tips and tricks that will save me time, money, and energy.

The Inspiration

While browsing the latest issue of “Martha Stewart Living,” I was inspired by a party trick I can adapt for my style. The author suggested:

Placing vegetable dip into the bottom of clear shot glasses or votive candle holders,
Adding sliced veggies (carrot sticks, cucumber spears, celery sticks, etc.) to the containers, and
Serving the glasses or candle holders on a serving tray among a layer of ice.

My Adaptation

I loved this idea. I often serve colorful, accessible vegetable trays at small parties. With a little adaption to my style and my budget, this event trick can be useful.

Buffet-style Event

I am thinking of events where many attendees need to be served in a limited amount of time. For this type of event, a buffet line works well.

With about ½” ranch dressing poured into the bottom of each clear plastic cup and a handful of veggies placed upright, event attendees can quickly pass through the buffet line, pick up a veggie cup, and continue to the next station.

Sit-down Event

For a sit-down event, having the veggie cups prepared on the serving trays would make the delivery to the table quick and efficient.

Formal Event

For more formal events, the container could be upgraded to fit the occasion. Click here to view Snack Girl’s detailed instructions with a photograph showcasing her Veggie Shots.

Just taking a few minutes to glance through a magazine has inspired me to use a new tip at my next party. I’m excited as this solution is easy which helps me in using time wisely. Happy creating!

Question: What tip or trick have you discovered that can be adapted to your style?

When I was expecting our first born, a very dear friend granted me this recipe for Homemade Baby Wipes. Having made hundreds of batches, I know this recipe has saved our family hundreds of dollars.

The wipes are very gentle. All three of my children have skin sensitivities, but none of them suffered from on-going diaper rash. I continue to use these wipes when I am at home. I found that they dry out in the small wipe holders that I carry in the diaper bag.

For the diaper bag, I purchase Huggies wipes. Our pediatrician highly recommends the Huggies brand since all items are fragrance free. I still remember the first diaper place on both my son and my oldest daughter. The nurses used Pampers diapers available at the hospital, and both of my children had bright red bottoms for the first few days. Once switching to Huggies, I had no more skin irritation issues.

Though I am loyal to Huggies brand, I choose to use the cheaper homemade wipes at home. When I make the wipes, I follow the recipe and allow it to cool for a few hours. I then fold the wipes in about 3-inch accordion-style folds and place them in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. As the wipes in the wipe warmer run low, I use the folded wipes to refill. Though I prefer to use the wipe warmer, the homemade wipes can be dispensed from the center of the container at any time.

My container has the wipe recipe fully taped on the outside. So when the container gets wet, the recipe will still be intact. As I give expecting parents the gift of Homemade Baby Wipes, I also use packing tape to fully adhere the recipe to the air-tight container.

This gift has been a continuous money saver for me. Does anyone have a different recipe for homemade wipes that work for you? Do you have any other money saving tips for baby wipes?