Author: smithell010

Cleaning Tips to Stay Safe

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Fun Fact: The average person spends 87% of their lives inside so cleaning is a great priority to have.

I am going over some of the best tips for cleaning so you can stay safe.

Bleach

Bleach is very effective in killing germs. Sodium Hypochlorite is the main active ingredient in bleach that makes it effective. Bleach can have different smells that you can choose from. It also does not cost a ton of money. That is why bleach will be effective in killing germs in your home.

Wipe down surfaces

Wipe down all the surfaces in your home daily. You can use Clorox wipes, glass cleaner, Mr clean, etc. Just make sure that if your surface needs a specific cleaner then to use that instead of a cleaner that is not meant for the surface.

Dust

You should dust your home at least once a month. Some cleaners you can use to dust are Swiffers Dust and Shine Spray, Endust No-Wax Dust Spray, or you can simply just use a dust cloth. There are clothes you can buy that are meant for dusting, or you can just use a microfiber cloth.

Some More

You will want to wipe down the things that are touched most. Here is a list of some of the best things that you should wipe down.

  • Phone
  • Toilet
  • Bathroom
  • Door Handles
  • Steering Wheel
  • Credit Cards

Take off your shoes before you step into your home.

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!

Use Hand Sanitizer.

Fun Fact: If you mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda together it cleans your silver and it also removes stains from your laundry.

When your home is clean, it sets a better environment for you and those who come to your home.

Cleaning Facts:

  • If you clean for at least two hours, you will burn 200 calories
  • 70% of dust is made up of dead skin flakes
  • The other 30% is mostly made up of outside particles such as soil
  • If you use incorrect cleaning supplies, the air quality can be 500% worse than the outside air quality
  • Usually, sinks have more bacteria and germs than toilets so make sure to clean them both often
  • Iceland is the cleanest country in the world (I just thought that was very interesting)
  • Lemons are very good at disinfecting
  • The average woman cleans for about 12,896 hours in her lifetime
  • The average man cleans for about 6,448 hours in his lifetime

Some more facts…

I hope this article was helpful for cleaning your home. Stay safe!

Things to do When You Are Bored at Home

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Currently, because of COVID-19, many people are stuck at home and are probably very bored. That is why I am going to show some things that can entertain you while you are quarantined at home.

Clean

Cleaning is always a good option to do when you are bored especially right now because of COVID-19. You could also organize things in your house to just make it a little bit cleaner.

Bake & Cook

Baking and cooking is something that will keep you busy while you are bored at home. You can even look up different recipes on this blog that you can do! Also, once you bake/cook your food, you get to eat it! That may be the best part of all of this… Here is a great cookie recipe to make!

Reading

Reading is great. It can take you to a different place. You can connect with the characters and really just get lost in the book. Some of my personal favorite books to read that I suggest are Harry Potter by J.K Rowling, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Have fun reading!

Instruments

It is always fun to learn something new! Especially an instrument. Also if you already play an instrument then you could also practice it or learn a new song on your instrument! 

Diy

Diy stands for Do it yourself. One of the best places to find Diys is on Pinterest. So, take the time to scroll through Pinterest to find a Diy to do while you are bored. Just make sure you have the supplies for what you want to do! Have Fun!

Movies

This is something I have been doing a lot! But, in my opinion, it is a very entertaining thing to do though. So, go curl up on your couch with a warm blanket and watch a movie by yourself or with family and friends. Just remember… stay 6 feet apart.

School Work

Though many may not like this, it is a very productive and necessary thing to do while bored and stuck at home. Most people right now are doing online school. Make sure you take your time while doing your schoolwork. Also, turn it in on time! And I bet that if you need help then you can email your teachers for help too.I'm Bored (SVG Cut file) by Creative Fabrica Crafts · Creative Fabrica

Thanks for reading this! I hope this article was helpful. Be aware of your surroundings and stay clean and safe!

Making A Cake

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Cakes can go from being very simple to make to very hard to make. They can be 1 layer or 20 layers. The thing that most matters are it’s taste and appearance. First, I am going to go over a couple of tips for making a delicious cake, then there will be a delicious recipe to make a very great chocolate cake down below.

Tips:

-If your cake is layered, make sure the layers are even

-Once you pull the cake out of the oven, make sure to let it cool down before you frost it or else the frosting WILL melt

-Take your time

-Make sure you are using the correct things to bake and frost it

-When you take it out of the oven, put a toothpick in it and pull it out  if it has batter in it, the cake is not finished and it needs to go in longer

-Preheat the oven while you are making the batter because then it saves a lot of time

-Make sure you butter the pan

 

Making the Cake:

Prep Time is about 15 minutes, cook time is about 35 minutes, the total time is 50 minutes. This recipe makes about 16 servings.

What you’ll need

~ 4 Eggs

 

~ 1 ½ Cups of Buttermilk

~ 1 ½ Cups of Warm Water

~ ½ Cup of Vegetable Oil

~ 2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

~ 1 ½ Tsp of Salt

~ 1 ½ Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

~ 3 Cups of Granulated Sugar

~ 3 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

~ 1 Tbsp of Baking Soda

~ 1 ½ Tsp of Baking Powder 

(You will also need flour and Butter for coating the pan so the cake doesn’t stick)

Steps

1~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then butter and coat 3, 9 inch round cake pans with flour. Make sure to get it on the WHOLE inside of the pan.

2~ In a stand mixer, mix salt, cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, and baking powder until combined.

3~ Add the eggs, buttermilk, water, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat them together until it is smooth looking.

4~ Divide the batter into the 3, 9 inch dusted pans. Make sure they are each even. 

5~ Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

6~ Once the time is done, stick a toothpick into the cake to make sure it is fully baked. If the toothpick comes out gooey, put the cake in for longer. If not then take it out and let it cool down.

7~ If you prefer frosting, then there will be a frosting recipe down below, if not then just layer the cakes and enjoy!

Also you can follow this vanilla cake recipe if you prefer that instead

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

The prep time for this recipe should be about 2 minutes, it should take about 6 minutes to make, and 8 minutes overall. It makes about 12 servings.

What you’ll need

~ 3 Cups of confectioners/ Powdered Sugar

~ 1 Cup of Butter

~ 1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

~ 1 ½ Tbsp of Heavy Whipping Cream

Steps: 

1~ In a stand mixer using a whisk, mix sugar and butter for about 3 minutes.

2~ Add vanilla and cream and mix for 2-3 more minutes.

3~ You are now ready to frost your cake!

How to Frost Your Cake

There’s a lot of different ways to frost your cake. You could make designs or just leave it plain. If you have frosting tips then use those. If not then it would probably be a better idea to use a rubber spatula so then you can spread the frosting evenly throughout the cake. If you want, then you can also dye the frosting a different color using food dye.

You can also follow this recipe for a different type of frosting

Enjoy!

Harry Potter Inspired Recipes!

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ButterBeer

Butter Beer is one of the most common recipes and treats in the wizarding world. It is really tasty! Plus it is really easy to make! You can serve it frozen or liquid. Prep time is 10 minutes, and the total amount of time it should take is 60 minutes if it is frozen but only about 10 minutes if it isn’t frozen. It makes about 4 servings.

 

What you’ll need:

-Cream Soda

-¼ Cup of Butterscotch Syrup

-1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream

-2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

-¼ Cup of melted butter

-2 Tablespoons of Sugar

 

Steps:

1~ Combine the cream soda and butterscotch syrup in a bowl and stir it.

2~Now, beat the heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer (or however you prefer) and beat until it forms a peak. 

3~ Once the whipped cream is formed, add the sugar and vanilla. Once mixed, stir in the melted butter.

4~Put the cream soda and butterscotch mixture into cups and add the whipped cream on top.

5~ Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Frogs

Chocolate frogs are very simple and very delicious. They are very famous for having cards with wizards and witches on it.  It takes about 7-10 minutes to prepare. Then it takes about 1-2 hours to freeze. This recipe should make about 16 frogs. 

 

What You’ll Need:

-Chocolate frog molds

-2 Cups of Chocolate

-8 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream (You might not need it all)

 

Steps:

1~ Combine the chocolate and heavy whipping cream together in a bowl and put it in the microwave for one minute and stir

2~ Put it in one minute at a time until it is fully melted.

3~ Pour the melted chocolate into the chocolate frog molds.

4~ Place the filled chocolate frog molds into the freezer for 1-2 hours or until solid.

5~ You now have delicious chocolate frogs.

 

Harry Potters Birthday Cake:

This is a classic. The point of this cake is for it to look messy yet professional. Even though it looks messy, it is still very delicious. Prep time is 20 minutes. Cook time for the cake is about 28 minutes. So the total time of making it will take about 48-50 minutes.

 

What you’ll need:

-1 box of chocolate or vanilla cake mix

(if you want then you can make your own cake)

-3 Eggs

-½ Cup of Vegetable Oil

-1 ⅓ Cups of Water

-1 ½ Cups of Softened Butter

-1 ½ Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

-6 Cups of Confectioners Sugar/Powdered Sugar

-3 Tablespoons of Milk

– Red, Green, and Blue Food Coloring

Steps:

1~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Put wax paper in the bottom of 2 circle pans and grease with butter, cooking spray, or oil.

2~In a bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. The amount of each ingredient could vary depending on your cake mix.

3~Pour the batter into the two pans and pour it about halfway  and make them even. Place it in the oven for 28 minutes.

4~ While the cake is in the oven, combine the butter, vanilla, confectioners/ powdered sugar, and milk. This will be your frosting.

5~Seperate about ½-1 cup of the frosting into a seperate bowl and add the green food coloring until you get your desired shade.

6~Now, add about 1-2 drops of the blue food coloring and a lot of red until you get your wanted shade of pink.

7~ Layer the cakes on top of each other by adding the pink frosting in the middle. Then cover the whole cake with the pink frosting. ( You can do as much or as little as you want as long as it covers the whole cake with pink frosting)

8~Now carve the “cracks” made by hagrid to make it look more realistic.

9~Put the green frosting into a plastic bag and cut a smallish hole at the top so then you are able to write the words “Happee Birthdae Harry” with the frosting.”

 

Sherbet Lemon

Sherbet lemons are one of Albus Dumbledore’s favorite treats! Prep time is 20 minutes. Cook time is 20 minutes. Which means that the total time for this recipe is about 40 minutes. This recipe makes about 20 individual candies. 

 

What you’ll need:

-1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

-¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

-½ Cup of Water

-1 Teaspoon of Citric Acid and ½ Teaspoon for Coating

-Yellow Food Coloring

-½ Teaspoon of Lemon Extract

-½ Cup of Confectioners/ Powdered Sugar

 

Steps:

1~Prepare a place where you can grease it so things will not stick to it.

2~In a small pot, add water, sugar, and cream of tartar. Place it over medium heat. Once the bubbles start to become thick, check the temperature.

3~The temperature should be at around 300-310 degrees fahrenheit. Once it reaches that temperature, take it off the heat and add the yellow food coloring, the lemon extract, and the 1 teaspoon of the citric acid.

4~ Now, you can start shaping it to whatever you want it to be. ( if the candy ends up too hard, place it into the oven until it is soft.)

5~Now you can coat the candies with the citric acid and wrap it into parchment paper/ wax paper.

 

I hope you enjoy these delicious Harry Potter inspired recipes!

Top 10 Best Places to Visit in Paris, France

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Over 30 million people visit Paris, France each year. So I’m counting down the top 10 best places to visit in Paris.

10~ Saint Germain Des Pres

Saint Germain Des Pres has one of Paris’s oldest churches. It was founded in 558 AD by a German bishop. Later a village was built around it. There is a beautiful library.  It is the oldest public library in France. It’s open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm every weekday. In Saint Germain Des Pres, there are shops and restaurants and more.

9~ Sacre Coeur Basilica

The Sacre Coeur is a Roman Catholic church. It’s a religious monument, but it’s also political. It’s been around since Pengan times. It survived through the middle ages and the french revolution.

8~ Montparnasse Tower

The Montparnasse Tower is an office skyscraper. It was built from 1969 till 1973. It was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011. This skyscraper gives a great view of Paris France. 

7~Seine River

The Seine River is 485 miles. It is 18 miles deep. The river flows through dividing the right and left banks. Admission tickets cost $50.60. You’ll be able to see amazing sights such as the Notre Dame and many more.

6~ Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Gardens was created in 1612 by  Marie de’ Medici. You can tour it for free. While you are there, you can see the Luxembourg Palace, unfortunately, you are not able to go into the Palace unless you are accompanied by a government official or an invitation.

5~ Disneyland

There are 6 Disneylands around the world. You can find them in California, Florida, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Paris. Disneyland Paris costs 107 Euros per ticket, which in the United States would be about $117. This is a great place for a family to go while they are visiting France.

4~ Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument that honors people who fought and died in the french revolutionary war and also the Napoleonic wars.  You could just walk around the base of it. Another option is you can climb it. For an adult ticket, it costs 12 Euros, and people under 18 are free.

3~ Louvre Museum

The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum. In the 1600s to 1700s, the Louvre was a palace for french kings. During the French revolution, it turned into a museum. You’ll see paintings by Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci, and many more. The most famous art piece is the Mona Lisa. To get in, it costs 15 Euros. 

2~ Notre Dame

There was a massive fire that broke out in this cathedral, but the fire didn’t destroy the structure except it will take a while to finish being rebuilt. Currently, it is closed temporarily, but it is expected to be done by the summer Olympics held in Paris in 2024. Usually, this would be a great place to visit, but unfortunately, it doesn’t open until 2024. When it does open, it is expected to be an amazing experience.

1~ Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is one of France’s most famous landmarks. The construction started on January 28th, 1887.  Adults 25 and older must pay 7 euros. 12 to 24 years of age must pay 5 Euros. Children 4 to 11 must pay 3 Euros. The best time to see it is at night time. You can see the whole city from the Eiffel tower. Plus it gives you good pictures. The Eiffel Tower is 1,063 feet.

Harry Potter Fan Theories

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Fans Theories About Harry Potter

The first Harry Potter was first published on June 26th, 1997. That was almost 23 years ago. J.K Rowling left lots of gaps for fans to make inferences. Harry Potter fans are still making theories about it today. Some even impressed  J.K Rowling herself. I’m talking about some of my favorite theories fans have made and some of my theories. 

Harry Potter: The boy who will always live?

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Professor Trelawney gives a very dramatic prophecy including Harry Potter and Voldemort. It states “…and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.” Thinking about this prophecy, you can notice that since Voldemort died at the hand of Harry, Harry would be forced to live a never-ending life. 

J.K Rowling is writing about herself?

J.K Rowling is known for writing one of the most famous books in the world. But, one fan theory suggests that when she writes about the nosy daily prophet writer Rita Skeeter, she’s been writing about herself. Rita Skeeter was first introduced in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Triwizard Tournament. Rita Skeeter gets the people who read her section in the daily prophet very drawn in. One theory went in deep suggesting Rowling is Rita Skeeter in disguise.

Defense Against the Dark Arts Job Post?

Not one time in the Harry Potter series has a Professor stayed in the Defense against the dark arts job post longer than a year. This leads to Hogwarts saying that the job is cursed. A theory states that Tom Riddle wanted this job, when Dumbledore denied him the job, Tom Riddle cursed the post for all who taught this subject saying that all who occupied this post would have a terrible fate and only teach one year here. In the seventh book, Snape becomes headmaster and crow gets put in the post. This leads people into thinking that Snape knew about the curse and put Crow in the post so he only taught one year and then the terrible fate would happen to him.

Lily Potter’s Still Alive?

In Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix Harry sees that there are these winged horses that direct their carriages that bring them to Hogwarts. Harry never saw the horses until his fifth year at Hogwarts. Once he realizes he can see them we meet a character named Luna Lovegood who introduces the winged horses as thestrals. Harry learns you can only see Thestrals if you’ve seen someone die. Harry starts seeing the Thestrals after in the fourth book Harry sees Cedric Diggory die. Except why didn’t Harry see the Thestrals before since when he was a baby he witnessed his mom (Lily Potter) die. He even had flashbacks of her death. Maybe she’s still alive because if she did die Harry would have seen the Thestrals from the beginning.

More Theories?

Even though Harry Potter was published a long time ago, fans are still very invested in the series.  There are many more theories we have uncovered that could change your whole understanding of the Wizarding World. These are just some I  have created and heard of.

Top 5 Most Popular Movies and Tv Shows on Disney Plus

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I’m counting down the top 5 most popular movies and shows that are on Disney Plus.

5~Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. which stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division shows a group of agents who investigate strange happenings around the world. Each member of the team all has special abilities that they bring to the team. They all work together to protect the people who can’t protect themselves from different threats, including a  group known as Hydra. The series is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actors include: Dove Cameron, Daisy Johnson, and Clark Gregg 

4~ Aladdin (Live Action)

Aladdin is a thief on the streets of Agrabah, who meets Princess Jasmine who is the daughter of the Sultan. Jafar, who works for the Sultan finds Aladdin and thinking he’s the “diamond in the rough”  sends him down into the depths of the cave to find a magical lamp. Aladdin finds the lamp and unleashes the genie inside. As Aladdin and the genie start to become friends, they have to go on a dangerous adventure to stop the evil sorcerer, Jafar, from overthrowing Agrabah, Jasmine’s kingdom. The actors include Naiomi Scott, Mena Massoud, and Will Smith.

3~The Lion King (Live Action)

Simba idols his father Mufasa, and “can’t wait to be king!” Except, Simba’s uncle Scar is bitter. He should be the next king! Scar, plans to become king. Once you think there is no hope for Pride Rock, Simba must choose if he wants to rise, with help from a  pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. Some even say it’s like Hamlet with animals… This movie includes Beyonce, Donald Glover, and Seth Rogen.

2~ Frozen

When their kingdom becomes trapped in winter, fearless Anna joins forces with ice specialist Kristoff and his reindeer Sven to find Anna’s sister who is a Queen with magical ice powers, Elsa, and breaks her spell. Their journey leads them to trolls, a snowman who all he wants to do is an adventure in summer, and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff must go and rescue their kingdom! This movie includes Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Jonathon Groff.

1~Avengers Endgame

Half the world has vanquished. The heroes must find a way to defeat Thanos and return all the missing citizens and heroes. To do that they need a plan. They need to join forces and save the Universe. The actors include Chris Evans, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, and so much more!

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