Do It Yourself

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share one of my favorite projects with you guys. I upcycled some old bike tires by turning them into belts. Unfortunately, I did this a while ago, so I can’t remember where I got the original info from. I do know that I researched quite a bit and pulled from multiple sources.

Anyway, it’s not all that hard…and the belts are actually pretty cool. It’s kind of a neat way for an ADHDer (or anyone, really) to celebrate Earth Day.

So, here goes…in eight easy steps.

Step 1: Locate an old tire and wash it with soap and water.

Consider the size of your belt loops and the tread when you pick the tire.

Step 2: Use another belt as a guide to determine your belt length.

Add 2.5 – 3 inches to the total length, so you can attach the buckle.

Step 3: Cut tire to desired length and then trim it to your desired width.

Use knobs as a guide for more precise cutting.

Step 4: Punch a hole in the belt and then thread the buckle through.

A rotary hole punch makes this really easy.

Step 5: Punch 2 holes in the belt and insert a rivet into each.

Place the holes close to the actual buckle.

Step 6: Set the rivets (one at a time) to secure the buckle to the belt.

Use a hammer with the rivet setter if you don’t have a mallet.

Step 7: Lay the “guide” belt on the tire belt. Use a hammer and nail to mark your sizing holes.

A permanent marker works, depending on the tire. Use trial and error.

Step 8: Punch holes in the belt to accommodate a variety of sizes.

Again – a rotary hole punch makes this really easy.

Final Product: Your belt(s) is(are) ready to wear!

Seriously, guys, I was pretty excited about how these turned out…and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments when wearing them. Happy Earth Day, guys!

So…what does a mature 34 year old do with a snow day? She’s all super productive, right? She does laundry, cleans her room, works on her taxes…

Um, no. Not this mature 34 year old anyway.

I blame Facebook, really. Had I not scrolled through my newsfeed so obsessively, I might never have been introduced to the wonder that is Snow Ice Cream. But, alas, there it was…plain as day. Quite honestly, a lot of people were posting about it. I’d never heard of it before, but it sounded pretty cool (No pun intended. Aww, who am I kidding?).

At first I told all my friends with kids (and my brother and sister-in-law – my niece and nephew would LOVE it) about it. Then, I decided I had to try it for myself. I gotta say, it was definitely worth trying and it was a whole lot more fun than doing anything respectable.

You, too, can make Snow Ice Cream if you follow these easy steps.

1. Mix 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla in a bowl (or other container of sorts).

2. Bring that mixture outside and gather 4 – 6 cups of snow.

3. Stir the snow in with the base mixture, adding more snow as necessary…to reach your desired consistency.

4. Add toppings. I chose chocolate syrup, but, you know, whatever floats your boat.

5. Enjoy ASAP…or it gets kind of soupy…but doesn’t all ice cream?

Boom: Awesomeness! And also, I actually did something else productive today. I finished this blog post, so there. But seriously, go make some of this scrumptiousness.