5 Uses for Shoe Boxes
I always cringe at getting rid of shoe boxes. Here are some ways to reuse them.
1. School projects. We always used shoe boxes for Valentine's Day boxes. My daughter's school uses cereal boxes, though. There are still a myriad of uses for these and kids crafts, like a sewing box, puppet stand and recipe book (pictured above).
2. Gift boxes. Cover them with Kraft paper and mail as a package or, using spray adhesive (detailed instructions here), wrapping the lid separate and create a gift box. Use raffia to tie the package together and you have an elegant gift (similar to the image above). You can also turn the box itself into a gift ribbon dispenser, making wrapping regular gifts easier.
3. Storage. Again, cover boxes and their lids with Kraft paper (see link above) use them to store small items. Write on the ends of the boxes with Sharpies to identify the contents.
4. Craft box. The image above uses a sandwich box but you can use a larger shoe box to hold a plethora of markers, crayons, colored pencils and more.
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5. Art. Of course if you're an artist with made skills, you could try this: Sneaker Sculptures
Finally, Puma is rolling out a new kind of shoe box that eliminates up to 65 percent of the waste that shoe boxes create. Watch a video about the project below:
A cheap and green way to care for your skin and avoid unsightly shine is to use lemon instead of prepackaged cosmetics. 
Some women are opting to rent high-end designer handbags, thanks to websites like 
This year, don't throw out the cardboard boxes your kids' (and big kids') gifts come in (large screen tv anyone?) Keep them to create forts, castles, houses and anything else your kids will enjoy for months to come. Ribbons and bows from packages can trim windows and discarded wrapping paper can create a quilt-like covering for your abode. Let the kids go crazy with markers to add the rest of the details. It's really true that kids sometimes like to play with the boxes more than the toys! Help them do that this year and create memories that will last a lifetime (a lot longer than that tv will).
• What a card! Keep your Christmas cards each year. Cut the covers off and use them as postcards the next year. You'll save on postage and recycle! You can also attach these to gifts to use them as name cards.
According to a 
There's a promising new show that begins airing tonight on ABC called "Pushing Daisies." It's part romantic, part whimsy, part murder-mystery. The visuals are nothing short of eye-candy, with bright colors and fun shapes. And from what I hear, the writing and storytelling are excellent. The premise is that the main character, Ned, has the ability to bring people back to life with one touch, but if he touches them again, they die forever. In the season premier, Ned brings his childhood sweetheart back to life ... which makes for a difficult reunion considering they can't touch!
I'd like to recommend a movie if you haven't seen it yet. 
Carving a pumpkin this month? Instead of throwing away the slimy innards, pick out the seeds and toast them for a healthy and delicious snack. You can also use them in soups and on salads.
Amazon.com is offering a new program called 
Tomorrow, Wed. March 21st, is free 16 oz. iced coffee day at Dunkin. Visit their 
A reader asked for the strawberry trifle recipe. Here's the link to the one I used: 
This past week the local grocery store had a special on strawberries (about $1.25 a pound). I bought and cut 10 pounds this weekend and froze most of it, but also made strawberry muffins, strawberry-banana bread, homemade strawberry ice cream and a strawberry trifle (pictured). There's something about baking and making sweet treats that's therapeutic. And it's fun to watch friends and family enjoy the fruit of your labor. I froze most of the breads so we can enjoy them for longer than the shelf life.
I made this Old-Fashioned Fudge Pie tonight ... haven't tasted it yet but it looks and smells delicious. This recipe is from Paula Deen's "Christmas" magazine from this past year. They make this pie at her restaurant in Savannah, Ga.
In honor of the day, here are links to two sites where you can download free pumpkin carving stencils.