Take an opportunity this Cinco de Mayo to have some family fun making paper lunch bag maracas! Easy activity for ages 6 and up.

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. Nest three of the four paper bags inside each other. The last bag will be used to make the handle. (See photo.)
2. Place your hand in the center of the foil square and loosely gather it up and around your wrist. Insert your hand inside the bags and place the foil at the bottom. (See photo.)
3. Spread the sides of the foil up and around the sides so that they are flush with the edges of the inside of the bag. The foil will give a little more strength and body to the bag and will provide a better noise for the shaker!
4. Place a handful of rice inside the bag and then fold the edges of the tin foil closed (See photos 1, 2.)
5. Take the remaining paper bag and cut up one of the sides and then around the perimeter of the bottom of the bag. Lay the bag flat on the table.
6. Fold the bottom flap in, then starting at one end, roll up the bag to create the handle. Roll it up tight and tape closed. (See photos 1, 2.)
7. Put a piece of tape across the center of the handle. Place the handle into the bag with the rice and press the tape to the side of the bag. The handle should be half in and half out of the bag. (See photo.)
8. Gather the top of the open bag around the handle and secure with a rubber band. (See photo.)
9. Decorate the maraca with paint using stripes, dots and curved lines. Let dry completely. (See photo.)
10. Tie the red felt strip around the rubber band to conceal it.

Tips:

1. You can use brown or white lunch bags for this project.
2. If you prefer, have children decorate the bag first, let dry, and then proceed with assembly.
3. Be sure that children shake gently to allow their maracas to last!

Check out our Spring Newsletter for informative articles, along with promotions, a highlighted client testimonial, a “did you know” fact, and a delicious spring recipe for you to try!

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, here’s a fun family activity to consider:

43rd Annual Art on the Green

Happening this weekend from August 5th – 7th. Bring the family and enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Summer from your friends at ACI Northwest Inc.

A common issue we find during the first of the hot weather is iced up units. This is when the unit has due to some problem become frozen on the indoor unit. Signs of this is when you see the unit outside running, your furnace fan running and no airflow coming from your vents. When you go outside and look at the unit you may see ice around one of the copper lines going into your home. Solution: shut your air conditioning OFF, turn your fan switch to ON, now the fan will continue to run to begin melting the ice from the indoor coil. Water will be present so if there is a concern of water damage be sure to check on the unit often and if needed put something around the unit to collect water.

One of the most common reasons for this occurrence or failure is due to a dirty filter. Once the filter becomes dirty it restricts airflow which in turns allows the indoor coil to become so cold that ice builds up until there is no airflow compounding the issue. So be sure to check and change your filter as needed. If the issue persists there are other failures that can cause this but a technician will need to be the one to diagnose.

Thanks for your support, Jason Roop
Service Manager

iMarket Solutions has launched ACI Northwest’s new custom website. To learn more about how iMarket Solutions can expand your presence on the web visit: www.imarketsolutions.com