DIY Life

Who doesn't love personalized goods? (I'm sure that some people will respond, "Anyone over the age of eleven," but that doesn't explain the appeal of vanity plates on cars.) Customizing an item just for the intended recipient is likely to make them feel special no matter what their age is... particularly if it's their birthday.

Sure, if you have something to say, and you want to eat your words, you can buy sugar letters for birthday cakes at almost any store that sells baking supplies. There are more creative ways to personalize treats, though: Craftster user Jsully03 made cookies that use American Sign Language manual alphabet letters to spell out a message to her young daughter, who was born deaf.

To duplicate her creation, all you need is a sugar cookie recipe (premade cookie dough is just fine), a hand-shaped cookie cutter with relatively well-defined fingers (you'll be shaping them into different positions; try local stores for the Wilton version), knowledge of the ASL manual alphabet, and, of course, an oven and a baking pan.

More impish bakers may be unable to resist using this idea to show the world how they feel about rock 'n roll; I certainly wouldn't blame them for doing so.

It would seem summer is over where I live. Very cold nights and chilly windy days have been the norm for the past week. I am not ready for this because I love summer. I will accept autumn soon though because I enjoy the pretty leaves and I do still get to be outside working in the yard.

With the change of seasons comes the need for clothing and accessories that will keep you warm on the nippy days ahead. One such accessory is gloves. When I was growing up my mom would knit gloves and mittens for us. You can make your own gloves too and save money in the process. Sew-ing.com has a step by step article on how to make your own cloth gloves. The article has awesome pictures and great patterns for you to check out. If you are interested in making leather gloves, then glove.org is the site for you. The author walks you through the steps necessary to make gloves, and provides details on how to measure your hand for gloves.

If you want to knit gloves, check out Grandma's gloves from bevscountrycottage.com. If you are stuck on ideas for a pattern, check out knittingpatterncentral.com. They have hundreds of knitting patterns, tips and tricks, and instructions on how to knit gloves and mittens.

When the canning and jelly making was complete and the first snowfall came, you could always find my mom clacking away with her knitting needles. There are enough ideas, patterns, and tips and tricks to keep you busy all autumn and winter long too. Happy glove making!

I have a fetish for clean hands. Unfortunately since I am a mother to a preschooler, my need for clean hands is often overridden by my son's need to eat gooey, sticky foods. I know that washing hands with soap and warm water is the best and healthiest way to keep my paws clean, but when we are in the middle of a soccer game or on a long car ride a squirt of hand sanitizer is the best I can do. I used to use the grocery store brands, but after reading the list of harsh chemicals I decided to give my own recipe a try. I searched on the Internet and found that the following recipe is my favorite:

• 1/4 cup aloe Vera gel
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 10 drops fragrance oil -my favorite is lavender

Mix ingredients together and store in a pump bottle. The mixture keeps for quite awhile and is easily portable. I find the lavender to be my favorite smell because it mixes well with the alcohol smell and it is soothing. There are many variations on this recipe all over the Internet. This one just happens to be simple enough and use household ingredients that are easily attainable, both qualities I appreciate.

Every wonder how to avoid chapped hands after heavy-duty cleaning or gardening? There's an easy solution: liberally apply hand cream to hands before you pull on garden or thick dish gloves. As you work up a sweat doing your task, your hands will indulge in a spa treatment. The added bonus is that you will be more likely to wear gloves around cleaners you may not think damage your skin, like floor cleaners; thus, keeping your hands and skin happy and healthy all the time.

Also, run your fingernails across a bar of soap before heading off to the garden. The soap will prevent dirt from sinking into the depths of your nails and it provides an easy way to clean your hands afterwards. Keep your hands looking as good as your garden.