DIY Mom

Delicious Creamy Potato Soup Made from Instant Mashed Potatoes  Did you know you don't have to spend time peeling and cutting potatoes to enjoy a delicious hot bowl of creamy potato soup? You can easily and quickly make a pot of soup for your family using very few ingredients (pictured below). Instant Mashed Potato Soup Recipe 2 tbsp. green onions chopped 2 tbsp. chopped celery 2 tbsp. margarine or butter 4 c. milk*4 servings worth of dry instant mashed potatoes1 1/2 tsp. chicken and...

If you frequently receive compliments and requests for your needlework, pottery, jewelry, candles, quilts, furniture, toys or any number of handcrafted products then you already know there’s a market for your goods. Turning a hobby into a business is a natural progression. Cottage industries are being created everyday and with good reason. Designing and producing handmade items from your home is an affordable way to start a business. There’s no additional overhead, you can make your own hours...

We're past the hump of Winter and are on our way to Spring. You know the growing season is not far ahead when you change your clocks. Trees, bulbs and flowers, all over the country, have been fooled into an early bloom. If you're thinking about planting a vegetable garden, consider this space-saving, upcycled idea. Attach reclaimed gutters (metal or plastic) to the side of your house or shed. Flowers and herbs would work nicely as well. Recycled Gutters Into Veggie Garden

Young Girl Being Robbed of Her Smartphone Todayshow.comMy daughter's cell phone was stolen recently. She set it down for no more than a second while shopping at the mall. She had insurance, she was still charged for a replacement by her wireless company. Yet, after paying for a replacement and being without a phone for a few days she was still one of the lucky ones. Violent robberies of smartphones are on the rise. People are being beaten and robbed for their smartphones. Major U.S. wireless...

Official Announcement: Picnik is closing Since joining Google in 2010, we have been creating editing magic in Google products while continuing to keep Picnik awesome. But now we get to focus on even awesomer things. Picnik will be closing on April 19, 2012. Your photos liberated Amazing photos are created in Picnik, so we have launched a new feature, Picnik Takeout, that easily downloads your photos to your desktop in convenient zip files. You may also elect to copy your photos to Google+...

I've purchased shoes from Zappos in the past and heard on the news about the recent security breach. I wanted to pass along the following email I received from Zappos so that past and present Zappos customers can take appropriate action. Here's the email: First, the bad news: We are writing to let you know that there may have been illegal and unauthorized access to some of your customer account information on Zappos.com, including one or more of the following: your name, e-mail address,...

**Although most crafters know this, I didn't mention to trace the pattern pieces on TWO LAYERS of fabric. 

Countdown to Christmas and it's over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go! If you're planning on taking some homemade cupcakes along with you, I have a quick, easy and practically free way to transport those delicious goodies. Simply cut some crosses in a cardboard box lid. A box cutter or Xacto knife works great. Your yummy cupcakes will remain nestled safely until you get to Grandmother's house.

Most of us just give up on folding fitted sheets because we think it can't be done, or it simply isn't worth the time to try. Properly folded fitted sheets takes up less storage space and cuts down on wrinkling. I've shared a brief tutorial below:

We all want to eat better. Sending your child off to school with a nutritious snack is important. If you've been wanting to include a yummy sliced apple in your child's lunch, but knew it would likely be brown before lunch, here's a smart tip. Precut the apple at home and wrap a rubberband around it. Sure you could slice the apple, dip it in lemon juice and place the slices in a food storage container, but many kids don't like the tart taste the lemon juice gives the apples and why bulk up you…

It's becoming more and more difficult for anyone wishing to begin or continue a freelance writing career lately. eHow has greatly reduced their opportunities and now Bright Hub has essentially fired all of their current writers. I received the following email recently and I wanted to give a head's up to my fellow writers. Good luck to you all! Dear Susan Barton: Bright Hub has focused on providing value to our readers, our writers, and our advertisers since 2007. We have made adjustments alon…

I've been a migraine sufferer since childhood. I had hoped my migraines would begin to get less frequent and would have stopped by now, but they seem to have gotten more frequent and even more intense lately. I began thinking about my diet and practically non-exist exercise regimen. Sweets were never my favorite indulgence. I've always been partial to salty treats. I was thinking that maybe my salty diet was somehow contributing to my migraines, but then it hit me. What about MSG? I cook with...

Canned chicken isn't just for chicken salad sandwiches. You can use this low-cost meat in hot meals. I usually buy Walmart's "Great Value" version, which is priced under $2.00 a can and is just as good as any of the name brands. I promise you, you won't taste any difference. I was trying to decide what to make for dinner and knew I had a can of chicken in my pantry. I was tired of the same old chicken salad sandwiches and decided to experiment. A desire for creamy chicken and vegetables on...

Flip UltraHD U260  I was previously using an older Sony Handycam and the Sony GC1 Netsharing Cam to create my videos, but decided I wanted to step up to HD. Since money is tight and the holidays are coming I wanted something low-cost. When I saw the Flip UltraHD priced at just $58.99 at Wal-Mart.com I decided to go for it. It's got some pros and cons. These are the details: · Shoot up to 1 hour of amazing HD video on the easy-to-use, pocket-sized UltraHD · Press the big red button to start...

Great Wolf Lodge Texas - Zachariah Barton Photos  We recently visited the Great Wolf Lodge here in North Texas and took some wonderful photos. I wanted to share them with anyone who may be planning an upcoming family vacation. I also wrote an article, Great Wolf Lodge Family Fun, for Suite101 which gives some great information about what the lodge has to offer families. Here's the video I put together: