You will need to make three more soles using the same technique outlined for the first sole. One of these soles should use your base color. The other two should use your accent color. Place one base sole on top of one accent sole. Slip stitch the soles together through the center stitches at the back of the heels.  Use your accent color yarn to do this. Note that your base color sole should be the top piece and your accent color sole should be on the bottom. The wrong sides of the soles should face each other as you do this. Make one single crochet in the outer loops of each stitch set. Repeat all the way around the perimeter of the soles. This should add a border to the soles while joining both layers together. Cut the yarn, leaving a 3 inch (7.6 cm) tail. Pull this tail through the loop on your hook to knot it in place. Weave the excess tail into the stitches of your bottom layer. Slip stitch the other two soles together at the back, then single crochet both layers together in each set of stitches around the perimeter. Fasten off the yarn as usual.  When finished, you should have two identical soles, each made with two layers. Note that these two soles should be mirror images of each other, just like standard sandals would be.

Summary: Repeat three more times. Slip stitch two soles together. Single crochet around the soles. Fasten off the yarn. Repeat with the other two soles.


Cut out a  3 by 2 in (7.6 by 5.1 cm) rectangle from yellow construction paper. Cut out another rectangle inside of it to create a hollow buckle shape. The rectangle can be vertical or horizontal--it’s up to you! Do not cut through the edge when cutting out the center. Pierce the center of the rectangle with your scissors or, if necessary, cut the center out using a craft knife or utility knife. Apply a thin coat of glue stick to one side of the paper buckle. Shake some gold glitter over the glue and let dry. This will make it look like shiny metal buckle! Make sure to shake off the excess glitter after you apply it. Use scissors to cut a standard sheet of green construction paper in half lengthwise, creating two skinny rectangles.  If you want a taller hat, you can skip this step and use the entire sheet of construction paper for the body of the hat. You can recycle the other half of the sheet--you won’t need it anymore! Carefully draw a straight line along the bottom of one of the green halves, about 2 inches (51 mm) from the bottom. Color this bottom portion in with black marker, crayon, or colored pencil. Apply glue along the edge of the paper, on the side opposite from the belt. Bring the other edge around so that it overlaps the glue edge, forming a cylinder. Press the two edges in place and let dry. The paper should be face up, with the black band visible, when you apply the glue to one edge. Place the cylinder on top of another sheet of green construction paper. Draw a circle around the cylinder that is roughly 2 inches (51 mm)  wider than the cylinder itself. Cut this circle out with scissors. Place the cylinder on top of the circle again. Trace around it exactly this time, making sure that this second inside circle is the same size as the opening of the cylinder. Cut this circle out with scissors, but be careful not cut the outside circle. Avoid making the circumference of the circle smaller than that of the cylinder, since a circle that is too small will fall through when placed on the top of the cylinder. Use glue or tape to attach the smaller green circle to the top of the cylinder. This will close it off and make it look like a hat!  Place circle on your work surface and set the cylinder on top of it. Tape the two pieces together, attaching the tape to the inside of the cylinder rather than the outside. If using glue, you will need to lay the circle on your work surface and draw a thin line of glue around the edge. Set the cylinder on top so that it dips into the glue. Turn the hat upside-down and place the ring on top. Tape the two pieces together, attaching the tape to the inside of the cylinder and the bottom of the brim. Apply a thin coat of glue to the paper buckle. Press the buckle onto the black strip at the bottom of the hat and let it dry. The seam of the hat should face the back, and the buckle should be directly across from the seam at the front of the hat.

Summary: Cut out a rectangle for the buckle. Coat the buckle in glitter. Cut a sheet of green construction paper in half. Draw a belt onto the bottom of one construction paper half. Glue the sides together to form a cylinder. Cut out a circle 2 inches (51 mm) wider than the cylinder. Cut the center of the circle out. Tape or glue the small circle to the top of the cylinder. Attach the ring to the bottom of the cylinder. Glue the buckle onto the hat.


Making a meal plan will help you to only buy what you need and therefore stay under budget. If you don't already have healthy recipes you love, find some you like online, do some research with recipes books, or ask your friends for recommendations.  One site you can try is the USDA's What's Cooking website (https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/). It has healthy recipes that you can use to plan meals. Don't forget to plan around your schedule. Opt for leftovers or quick meals on nights you're going to be busy. You may think that eating healthy means you need to try out a bunch of new trendy health foods. While these trendy foods may be healthy, that doesn't mean they're the only healthy foods. Stick to simpler ingredients that you know, even something as simple as a roasted chicken with vegetables and brown rice. You'll be more likely to keep eating healthy, and you'll save money at the same time. Once you've planned out your meals, create a list of the items you'll need. Sticking to a list (and not buying extras) can help you stay on budget, so you can afford healthier food. Meal planning isn't just for eating at home. It can help to make a plan before you go to a restaurant. Look over the menu if it's available online, and compare calorie counts. Many restaurants have the calorie counts available, but you can also use online calorie counters or websites.  Consider choosing a healthy appetizer to save money. It will also keep the portion small. Opt for dishes with lean proteins paired with whole grains and lots of veggies. Choose veggies or fruit over fries, onion rings, or mashed potatoes. Ask for a take-out box when you get your food. Split it in half before you start eating, and put half in the box to take home. Splitting it up helps you control your portion and stretch your money.

Summary: Decide on your main meals for the week. Stick with what you know. Create your shopping list. Plan ahead when you eat out.


Always avoid wheat flours or flours labeled as being derived from barley, rye, or triticale.  Other flours to avoid include those listed as bulgur, durum, farina, graham, kamut, semolina, and spelt flours. Avoid flours that list ingredients likely to be contaminated with gluten unless the product is labeled as gluten-free. Frequently contaminated grain flours may include corn, soy, rice, potato, and beans unless otherwise stated. Flours that include flax, millet, quinoa, sorghum, tapioca, teff, buckwheat, arrowroot, or amaranth as ingredients may also be contaminated. Most flour products that are truly gluten-free will be labeled as such. Always check ingredient lists to verify that the flour could not be cross-contaminated or hiding a gluten-based ingredient if the label does not specify. Not all non-wheat flours will truly be gluten-free. If you really want to reduce the risk of purchasing baking flour that contains gluten, your best option is probably focusing your search efforts in a special gluten-free food aisle or specialty food store that focuses on providing reliable and safe gluten-free identification for its food products. Letting the vendor do the work for you provides extra reassurance that you have selected a gluten-free flour.
Summary: Memorize the different names for gluten. Buy flours specifically labeled as gluten-free. Consider purchasing flour from a specialty aisle or store only.