Friday Inspiration: Fading Summer Days

We have just discovered Pinterest around here and over the past few weeks we have quickly (to say the least) become obsessed. So many good ideas and beautiful pictures to get lost in.

As the summer begins to wind down here in the midwest and the kids go back to school we have chosen some of our most favorite summer images to savor until next year...

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

All images can be found on our Pinterest account.

DIY Air Freshener

I found this easy to make air freshener and when I stumbled across an empty jar while cleaning out my cabinets I thought now would be the perfect time to try out this DIY project. All it takes is two ingredients baking soda, essential oil, and a jar to put them in. To keep it simple I used a jar that already had openings on the lid. Or you can replace a ball jar lid with cardboard to make it easy to add your own holes.

Since my jar already had openings on top it made this project very simple. And instead of essential oils I used editable oils for candy making and they worked just the same.

Fill the jar about 1/4 of the way full with baking soda. 

 Add 5-10 drops to the baking soda (I chose peppermint) depending on how strong of a sent you want. 

Just give it a shake side to side whenever the room needs freshening up.

Update: I came across an image of a parmesan lid on a ball jar. It does indeed fit (on a regular jar not the wide mouth ones) and makes the cutest most simple air freshener. No need to make holes just replace the lid and add 1/4 baking soda and essential oils. Could also be a cute way to freshen the fridge instead of leaving the baking soda in the box. 

Road trip to California

{Near the Grand Canyon at Williams AZ}

This summer I was lucky enough to get away for two weeks and enjoy an amazing road trip, just my husband and I. We drove all the way from Champaign IL to San Pedro CA. Driving over 5,000 miles through 11 states. We stopped along the way to see 4 cousins and 2 friends. I also managed to grab a few CA goodies which should start showing up in our store over the next few weeks.

Thanks to Ellen, Jerry, and Jodie for a wonderful week in CA.

After going through thousands of pictures, here are some of my favorites from the trip...

{Grand Canyon South Rim}

{View from cousin's home San Pedro CA}

 {Palm trees in Beverly Hills} 

{Hollywood Blvd.}

 {Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Blvd.}

{Looking over LA}

{Tatiana, host family's cat in CA}

{Man and his dog paddleboarding in Dana Point CA}

{San Pedro CA}

{USS Iowa, docked at San Pedro}

{Point Fermin Light House, San Pedro CA}

{Trump's Golf Course, Rancho Palos Verdes CA}

{Stayed at Treasure Island, Las Vegas NV}

{View of the Vegas Strip from our hotel room}

Friday Inspiration: Lobster Fest

{Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland, Maine}

Summer do: Host your own lobster fest.

Summer is quickly coming to an end but don't let it slip by without hosting (or attending) your very own sea food fest. With lobster being so plentiful this year it's a great time to get in on the action and enjoy some fresh lobster and the company of family and friends.

{Pretty photo booth to capture memories}

{Paper straws make everything cuter}

{Create your own festive flag banner}

All photos can be found on our Pinterest site. To order your sea food party essentials like place mats, bibs, mallets, crackers, picks, and wet wipes head on over to our web site.

Home Decor DIY: Chalkboard Banner

 {#503 Filter/Dust Masks}

I love to entertain. For my children's birthdays I had a banner where you could rearrange the letters to spell out their names. But the decorations long ago fell apart and I've done away with my old banners. With all the beautiful banners I'm finding on Pinterest I decided on making one I could leave up all year for myself to enjoy. This chalkboard banner fit the bill perfectly where I can easily change the message to fit the occasion. I followed this tutorial (you can also find it on my Pinterest) to create my banner. Having my grandchildren for the day gave me the perfect opportunity to create my banner and spend some quality time with them.

You will need:
Chalkboard spray paint
Twine (yarn or string)
Glue gun
Felt
Wooden pieces (they come in all shapes and sizes) I used 16 - 2.5" wide x 3.5 long".

I cut my felt into 1 inch pieces

I placed my wooden discs 1 1/2 in. apart on the twine and hot glued them down an inch from the top

Completed banner hanging in my kitchen

Summer Catalog 2012

To request your copy of our summer catalog call us at (800) 575-0170 or email us at products@champaignplastics.com 

Friday Inspiration: A Daring Adventure

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller

Every year the month of August comes and the rest of the summer just flies by. Don't let those lazy days of summer pass without any thought! Savor every moment. Around here we decided to create our own summer bucket list. Just some little things we wanted to accomplish before fall. It can be as simple as crossing off one thing per week.

Image can be found on our Pinterest site.

Plain Disposable Bibs

{#305 Disposable Adult Bibs}

I thought now would be a good time to answer one of my most frequently asked questions. We get asked a lot around here if it's possible to print on our disposable bibs. Unfortunately the answer is no they cannot be printed on. The reason is they come to us coated in a gloss that does not allow for printing. If you would still like to decorate your bib we find that magic marker or stickers will adhere to them. You can find images of decorated bibs posted by our fans on our Facebook.

Blog Launch

{Photo taken of the night sky on our recent road trip to the Grand Canyon} 

Welcome to Champaign Plastics/Disposable Plastic Wear. With the growing interest of my products I thought now would be a good time to launch my first blog centered around my business, things I love, and sharing them with you.