With winter at our front door, food is becoming scarce for the wild birds. So the next time it is cold outside and the kids are bored, why don’t you whip up a great treat for the birds to enjoy?

Toast some bread or use stale bread for this project. Poke a hole in the bread and gently tie string to the bread. Smear both sides of the bread with peanut butter and then take the slices outside. Cover each side with bird seed and find a tree to hang up your bird treats.

When you are hanging your bread, make sure it is high enough to keep the cats away. You may also want to hang them in view of your window so you can enjoy watching the birds snack on your winter bird seed treat.

Is your fish tank water constantly cloudy? Are your fish swimming in a proverbial ocean of green? Before you begin complicated water testing, start with an easy solution. Change your fish food!

Many local grocery and pet stores sell the same standard fish food. Unfortunately, these flaky foods can cloud your fish tank water within a few days. To make your fish tank water crystal clear, take a quick trip to your local pet store.

First, purchase new filter inserts for your water filter, and then begin reading fish food labels. Find one that states it never clouds water. Our favorite brand of fish food is Omega One Natural Protein Formula Freshwater Flakes. Omega one also makes salt water fish food.

You will be amazed at the difference a fish food can make to your tank’s water. Change your filters the day you begin using your new “never clouds water” fish food. It can take up to three or more days before you see a difference, but the difference is amazing. Your fish tank water will soon be crystal clear.

So do your fish a favor – switch your fish food to clear your tank’s water. The solution is easy and your fish will certainly thank you!

Crystals are easy to grow at home and fun to make decorations with. You can use pipe cleaners to create any shape you like. We made crystal snowflakes, but you can use your imagination to make other objects. Create homemade sun catchers, crystal butterflies or even crystal stars!

First, twist the pipe cleaners in to any shape you like. Feel free to cut some for smaller pieces. Tie a string to the middle of the pipe cleaner shape. You will be using this string to hang the object, so make sure it is long enough. Tie the other end of the string to a pencil.

Fill a wide mouth glass jar with boiling water. Pour the water in cup by cup so you know how much borax to use. Of course, supervise your children at all times near the water! Now, add three tablespoons of Borax per cup of water in the jar. Borax can be found in the laundry section of most stores. It may be named 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster. Don’t use Boraxo soap, as this will not form crystals.

Stir the Borax powder until most of it is dissolved. If you like, add food coloring for colored crystals. Suspend your pipe cleaner object in to the water. If it is touching the bottom, twirl your pencil enough to move the pipe cleaners to the middle of the jar.

Let your creation sit overnight. In the morning you will find it is covered in beautiful crystals! Hang these on your Christmas tree, use them in the window to catch the sun or give as gifts to those you love.

You can make crystal shapes for each holiday! Try red crystal hearts, green crystal four leaf clovers or scary black crystal bats. These are a lot of fun to make and children love them!

This outdoor sun catcher is an easy craft that is absolutely beautiful and quite unique. The next cold day you hear your children complain they are bored, bundle them up and send them outside on a quest.

Ask them to collect pine branches, greenery, holly berries or anything else with a bit of color. Now select a dish that can be placed in the freezer with water in it. Try pie plates, bread pans or cake pans. You can even make more than one, each with a different shape.

Fill your container with one to two inches of water. Have your children arrange the items in the water. You can also use sliced orange or lemon rounds, as well as cranberries for striking color.

Cut some yarn, string or rope for a handle, placing each end in the water. If you use yarn, use at least three to four strands – this ice sun catcher is heavy!

Finally, place your creation in the freezer and try to forget it for several hours. Once your ice is completely frozen, run some water over the outside of the container to free the ice from the mold.

Hang your ice sun catcher from a nearby tree. If you made several, you will have a remarkable winter wonderland just outside your door! For a little extra fun, sneak one in to a neighboring backyard. Imagine the delight of your neighbors as they discover this beautiful piece of natural art hanging outside the kitchen window!

I am very upset and just have to shout about it. Today, I went to 7-11 for my daily coffee and found all of the cups changed to cardboard. I gasped in horror as my eyes drew up to the flat plastic lids, then back to the cardboard cups. Surely this must be a mistake! Where are those wonderful plastic cups!? Where are those incredible lids with the sliding top? I broke out in a cold sweat as the panic swept over my entire being.

Not one to walk away from a new experience, I sheepishly poured my cup of 7-11 coffee, adding a bit of french vanilla cappuccino at the end. Immediately I knew I was in trouble. My hand began to feel warm... no, practically began to burn! I set the cup down and found the cup insulators - just begging me to try one. They looked up at me mockingly, knowing if I used one I would immediately drop the cup as the insulator slid to and fro. I decided to be brave and go without.

After crying to the poor cashier, I angrily stomped to my car with my cup of coffee. As I closed the door, a new horror arose. My car began to reek of hot cardboard... this is not good! I drove back to work, and not being able to stand it anymore, tried to open the top. Five minutes later, I took a big swig. BLAH! Cardboard Coffee! More stomping as I walked in to work. By the time I was half way down the hall, the coffee began to slosh out of the cup and down my hand. Huge droplets of my precious liquid java spent on the floor - such a waste! Hands covered with sticky coffee, I opened the door to my office space.

7-11, how could you do this to me! How could you take my one true joy and turn it in to cheap, drive-thru coffee? You work so hard to provide your customers with excellent fresh coffee, and then you serve this Cadillac in a Yugo cup??! Oh the pain, the agony... the absolute feeling of defeat as I type and sip my paper infused coffee. Hmmm, I wonder what McDonald's cups are like?

Tired of the same old rice? Tonight, why don’t you try something new – and easy! Instead of using water to cook your rice in, replace it with chicken broth. Any store bought one will do. This simple change adds a nice depth to the flavor that will keep them coming back for more. Top with some chicken and feta cheese for a healthy, flavorful meal.

For some more easy rice recipes, use a whole can of cut tomatoes with the juice, adding water to make your liquid two times the amount of rice. Try some spices as well – oregano, garlic or basil. Or squeeze some lemon juice in your chicken broth and sprinkle the finished rice with fresh mint.

Our favorite rice side dish? Melt about two tablespoons of butter in your pot. Add half a pack of Lipton Onion Soup Mix to the butter. You can use the whole package and more butter if cooking for a large family. Pour in your water. Again, two parts liquid to one part rice. Add rice and let it cook. This is a fabulous side that can be taken to pot lucks or parties– and trust us – everyone will ask for the recipe!