Work-Life Balance

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling and her ediTORIal by Tori Spelling blog. This week, Tori shares a fun DIY project.

Crafting is more than a hobby in our house. It’s a way of life! As you might recall, I even carry twine around in my purse. Ha ha. We love to craft together as a family. The kids and I usually craft together at least 2-3 times a week. I find it very therapeutic and the kids love it.

Related: Take a Tour of Tori's Store — InventTORI

Today I have some exciting news to share with my fellow craftistas… I recently launched my very own {styled} by Tori Spelling line of jewelry making supplies with Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft Stores. I am so excited to partner with Jo-Ann and even more excited about the special sweepstakes they are running to go along with it. One of you can win a trip for two to L.A. to craft with yours truly. It’s going to be a ton of fun and I can’t wait to get crafting. So make sure you enter.

But first, I wanted to share my Vintage Pop Silhouettes project that Jo-Ann Fabrics recently featured as a part of their Creativity Made Simple campaign. Check out this super cute (and easy!) project and then enter to win the trip to L.A. to craft with me at a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store.

Keep reading for the easy DIY instructions!

Keep pesky ants away with this easy DIY ant killer that's sans harsh chemicals. This ant hitman attracts pests with its sweet flavor, keeping them away from the rest of your home, but eventually wipes out whole colonies thanks to borax. A natural mineral that is often used as a cleaning booster, borax not only smacks down ants, but it is also safe to use in your home.

Read on for the directions.

Waking up refreshed is a great way to start out the day on the right foot. However, there may be times when you wake up tired and unable to immediately get the day going, even though you've had a full night's rest. Here are a couple reasons that may be causing you to wake up groggy:

• Waking up in the wrong phase: Your sleep is split into cycles, and you might've woken up during the non-REM stage, which is a state of very deep sleep. Try to shoot for waking up during a REM phase, because then your body will be better prepared to wake up.
• Poor quality of sleep: It doesn't matter how long you sleep for if you're it's low-quality rest; you'll just wake up tired. Poor-quality sleep can be caused by factors such as sleeping with a pet, drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day, or having too much noise in the background.
• Medication hangover: The effects of certain medications that cause drowsiness can linger until the next morning. Check with your doctor to see if you can adjust the dosage or change medications.
• Medical condition: Certain medical conditions like sleep apnea can disrupt your night's rest. Disorders like depression can also cause you feel drained of energy, a symptom that can contribute to your grogginess.
• Your body clock is not in sync: If you've been keeping an erratic sleep schedule, then your body will probably need time to adjust to waking up at a certain time during the morning. Try to make a more regular schedule, and you'll probably see a difference in how you feel in the morning.

Save your bottle caps and candle ends for making these adorable minicandles. Pick up candle wicks at your local craft store for only a few bucks, which makes this DIY just about free. Personalize the set by using tops from your favorite beverages, and you've got a unique gift that's fitting for any occasion. Perfect for lighting cozy outdoor areas or packing for camping, these bottle-cap candles burn for about an hour before running out of wick.

Read on for the directions

If your drain isn't flowing as easily as it should, then it's probably a bit clogged. Instead of paying big bucks for chemical-filled concoctions, try fixing the problem yourself with a homemade drain cleaner.

This eco-friendly DIY costs basically nothing to make and can be used weekly to help prevent buildup. Safe to use in the bathroom or kitchen, the drain-buster will have your sink or tub flowing freely in no time. Have a really plugged pipe? We've even found the solution for seriously stopped drains.

Keep reading for the directions.

Summertime is vacation time! If you're heading to the airport anytime soon, then along with your bikini and flip-flops, be sure to pack some snacks. Since airport food is notoriously pricey and unhealthy, bringing food along will save you money and unwanted calories.

Eating before and during your flight will maintain your metabolism and can help prevent the dizziness and headaches sometimes associated with flying. Snacking will also keep your energy levels up (and your crankiness levels down) so you won't have to dose up on caffeine, which tends to make jet-lag symptoms worse.

Grab some Ziploc baggies and make these 100-calorie snack packs prior to boarding the plane:

• One Horizon organic mozzarella cheese stick: 80 calories
• Three cups of air-popped popcorn: 93 calories
• One Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Cake (70) smeared with one tablespoon of hummus 23): 93 calories
• Two large red bell peppers cut in strips: 85 calories
• Eight Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips: 93 calories
• One date (66) paired with five almonds (35): 101 calories
• 28 baby carrots: 98 calories
• 2/3 of a Barbara's Blueberry Multigrain Cereal Bar: 90 calories
• One medium pear, washed and sliced: 103 calories
• 17 unsalted peanuts: 99 calories
• One small banana: 89 calories
• Five Triscuits: 100 calories
• Half an Odwalla Sweet & Salty Peanut bar cut up into bit-size squares: 95 calories

What kind of snacks do you bring when you fly?