Pin Buster

DIY Outdoor Pallet Swing Bed - PROVEN

2014-07-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

My friend/cousin/neighbor is credited for finding and executing this awesome idea.

I really wish I could do the same, but there are no trees on our property that would allow for this. I am happy she had the perfect shade tree.

My husband brought her some pallets from work, she painted them and her hubby attached them together to make one large pallet.

We wrapped the mattress in plastic to protect it from rain. It was a lot of fun to be able to help out this with project and it really looks awesome and is very comfortable. I might wander down there sometime to enjoy a book and the cool breeze.

The kids sure loved it!

Maybe the only modification she might make is to add a piece of USB/particle board between the pallets and the mattress to make it more comfortable.

I love the way it looks, so inviting and relaxing!

I suggest you look for an appropriate tree limb in your own yard! Everyone could use a little slow down!

Crusty Bread - PROVEN

2014-06-18T09:42:00.001-07:00

I realize that hte vast majority of my blog posts involve food. Well, that's simple to explain, really. Since my life is so busy (who's isn't, right?) cooking and baking are things i would notmally be doing regardless of whether or not I was publishing a blog. I figured it's still a great use of this myth busting/pin busting platform since so many things i see on Pinterest involve new recipes. I wonder how many of those recipes actually get tested?

Well, folks, I really try to test all of mine, and it's about time I shared this one with you!

Crusty Bread!!!!!

Ahh, gotta love it, fresh and hot from the oven to soak up your soup, juices from a roast, just to rip off and eat or any way you can imagine!!!

This recipe is awesome. I have had to modify it here and there to get my dough consistency correct. It should be sticky, not too thick and not runny in order to get the proper rise and baking result!

This does require a small cast iron dutch oven. My wonderful Mama purchased one for me on sale, I believe it was at Meijer!

The recipe calls for unbleached flour, which is what I buy anyway because...who wants their flour to be bleached?? It's right in with the regular flour and costs about the same!

I don't always let my bread rise for the recommended amount of time. The recipe calls for 12-18 hours of rise time, but I usually don't make the dough in time in order to eat with dinner the following night, so I have to rush this process. I have let it rise for only 9-10 hours before and the results were the same.

ENJOY!!!

CAN YOU SAY DELICIOUS?!?!?

DIY Father's Day Frame - PROVEN

2014-06-16T05:41:00.001-07:00

I found an idea for a homemade Father's Day gift on Pinterest. I saw this photo and knew I wanted to attempt making this for my hubby from our daughter.

The only problem is, the only thing I found was a photo. No instructions at all, and even when clicking on the pin to go to the link associated, it showed nothing on how to create this masterpiece so I went at it semi-blind!

The first thing I did was order prints online of some of my favorite photos of my husband and daughter together. I ordered 20, even though I only needed 5! There are many places online you can order prints but my favorite is www.mpix.com.

I bought a $6 frame at Dollar General and a couple 4x6 frames ($1.50 each). While at the dollar store I also picked up a piece of small poster board.

I printed out DADDY in extra large block letters to use as a guide when cutting out the poster board.

I had to first cut the poster board to the size of the frame, I used the piece of paper that was in the frame, traced it and using scissors, cut it to size. After that I cut out the letters I had printed and laid them out. After realizing I didn't have enough room, I staggered them to get them to fit. I traced them and using an exact-o knife, I cut the letters out of the poster board. This was not an easy task. It took a steady hand and patience, neither of which I have much of!

I then chose the pictures I wanted to use to represent each letter, those also had to be cut to fit, I taped them to the back of the poster board to make sure they wouldn't shift around.

I then used a pencil to write the words "I'm lucky as can be the best [DADDY] in the world belongs to me!" After I had that done I used a sharpie to trace over those letters and erased the pencil markings.

I realized a little too late that the words were not centered on the board, and if you know me, that is NOT OK. Also, the bottom line is at an upward angle and it still drives me a little nuts, but the imperfections are what make it homemade, right?.....Sure. In order to add Madison's touch and also take up some of the extra space on the right side, I had her add her pink hand print! It acts like her signature to the art, and it is perfect! I am glad now that I didn't get it centered perfectly!

I used the smaller frames I purchased and put a couple photos of my precious family in them for my husband's desk at work. The homemade gift is now hanging on the wall in our hallway at home. :)

Here is the finished product!!!!

Sausage Pizza Tacos - PROVEN

2014-06-16T05:03:00.003-07:00

The plan to make this dinner started as a photo my husband saw on some random website. That was all it was, a photo. Using the wonderful feature on Google image to search, I uploaded the image he found and was able to bring up this pin which included a recipe!!!

This is the photo he saw, it was love at first sight!!!

They were called Sausage Pizza Tacos, which, if the picture hadn't convinced my husband that this dinner was for him, the name sure did! Those are two of his favorite things!

I decided to make these for him for a special Father's Day dinner! I usually don't like to experiment with new recipes on a special occasion, but I figured with sausage, pizza toppings and taco shells I could not go wrong.

I followed the recipe almost exactly, the only thing different is I used dried Basil instead of fresh because that is what I had on hand ;)

They turned out great and were a hit with the man of honor on Father's Day!!!

I used Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage

Cheese on the bottom! Cheese in layers! Can't get enough CHEESE

Dye Easter Eggs with Whipped Cream - PROVEN

2014-06-12T11:57:00.001-07:00

This was so much fun!!!

My husband was a total skeptic, stuck in his traditional methods for doing things and was unconvinced that this would even work.

Well, we proved him wrong! He still thinks we should try the traditional way next year...we will see about that ;)

I started with a recommendation from my friend Vanessa on dying Easter eggs with whipped cream. I thought it sounded like a fun alternative to the traditional way and something our 2 year old would really enjoy (and find tasty). I was right!

We followed all the directions and we were very excited and pleased with the results! I did soak them in vinegar as recommended and I used gel food coloring, which I had never heard of, but was easy to find right in with the liquid stuff!

Madison loved playing in the mix, rolling the eggs and licking her fingers off and making quiet the mess. But, kids are prone to messes anyway so we did this project outside!

It was harder than you would think for us to be able to dye eggs at all. We were in the process of moving and the new place had no appliances, so I had to go back to the old house just to boil the eggs and then transport them back to the new homestead, but that little jaunt aside this project was fun, easy and worked great!

Use Oatmeal to Keep Cast Iron Skillets Clean - PROVEN

2013-04-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Cooking on cast iron is pretty awesome, except when you are left with a mess that is hard to clean up. And since cast iron is a special material that you aren't supposed to clean with soap it becomes a hassle to keep the pans clean and maintain the "seasoning" you have done so far.

Well my sister found this awesome idea and it's just too good not to share.

Because of this, I will probably uncover and dust off my old cast iron cookware and start using it a lot more often. Takes a lot of the hassle out of the clean-up and it works amazingly well.

Click the link above to get a detailed list of directions. She used oatmeal (which I have a ton of in my cupboards)

Can't wait to do this and to be able to use my cast iron more often!

Thanks for sharing the story and pictures, Ann!

Cleaning the Inside of an Oven Door - PROVEN

2013-04-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this one, people!

I have been searching for an easy way to clean inside the glass of my oven door. There is a double pane and things, nasty, terrible things get trapped there and I needed to get them out.....especially because we have an Open House this weekend!

Beth was here today watching Maddy and I roped her into helping me with this project.

We found this pin on how to clean inside, between the glass and got moving!

This is my oven before....like all my other 'before' photos, please don't judge!

First we tried it with a wire hanger, because I thought that was a better idea than the stick the pin suggested...plus it was raining. Also, I didn't have any duct tape handy so I used scotch tape and it worked perfectly (the tape, not the hanger)

Unfortunately, that idea was a bust, I should have put trust in the pin. The wire hanger was too thin and I couldn't create enough friction with it to clean the inside of the glass, so we went in search of the perfect stick.

I am so happy I did this. Who thinks about how to clean the inside glass of the oven door? This girl...she does! And she did it!

Do this one, it is amazing and I couldn't be happier with the results.

(I also cleaned the rust stains from inside our dishwasher but that's a separate issue...I just want you to know I have been busy today! Haha)

Homemade Edible Fingerpaint - Proven

2013-03-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

I love when kids get to explore new things and especially when their little creative minds start to work. When I came across this pin for Homemade Edible Fingerpaint I couldn't wait to try it with Madison.

I followed the directions exactly and it was a pretty simple and fast process.

Madison loved to play in the goo that was created and she did take a taste of it but it was not to her liking haha. She enjoyed smearing it around the paper and feeling the paint for a few minutes. The project was rather short lived but it was a lot of fun. She seemed to enjoy everything about it.

I put her in the bath immediately and there are no stains left over, even faintly, on her hands. We will do this again soon....the recipe made a lot and we barely made a dent. The pin suggests that the paint will last a month or more in the proper container.

Can't wait to do this again!

Cleaning Microfiber with Rubbing Alcohol - PROVEN

2013-03-05T06:11:00.002-08:00

My couch is long overdue for a good cleaning. I have used other products before that weren't effective. At the time a stain occured I would use carpet cleaner, which removed the stain only to leave a large water mark on the couch.

With a one year old and 5 animals inside the couch has always been a bit of a tough piece of furniture to keep clean, even when we don't let the animals on the couch. (now we only have 4 animals and all the cats are "outside" cats now...makes it a little easier) but still, babies and microfiber are NO match!

Don't judge my before pictures...they are terrible, but it shows even more how effective this process is.

The pin says to use Rubbing Alcohol in a spray bottle, a sponge of similar color to the couch and a bristle brush. Well, I used a blue sponge (the white one shown started to crumble as I was using it!) and a blue bristle brush and there was no color transfer.

DURING PROCESS:

The results speak for themselves, but even the overall appearance of the couch it better, it appears "fluffy" and like new, not to mention that ALL the stains and water spots are GONE! With a little help from the products I purchased and some elbow grease my couch looks awesome!

I am so pleased with these results that I will continue to use this process on anything and everything I ever own that is microfiber. I believe they sell microfiber cleaner, but it's not worth the money. I got the rubbing alcohol, spray bottle, sponge (assortment pack of 6) and brush from Dollar General for a total of $4, and I can use it more than once.

I am sure you will be just as surprised and pleased with the results on your microfiber furniture! Enjoy!

Homemade Febreze - PROVEN

2013-02-27T05:28:00.001-08:00

I recently wrote a status on Facebook saying how I really wish someone would create a candle, oil warmer or spray that smelled as good as my fabric softener.

I got a lot of responses and most of them included making my own Homemade Febreze!

I have had this pinned on my Pinterest DIY board for a while now and I had completely forgotten about it!

I have used Febreze before, all the different types and scents and I like them, especially the "seasonal" ones, but not so much that it's worth spending the $4 a can/bottle on, even at the dollar store. So, when I found out that I could make my own and I could determine the scent, I was sold.

I happened to have an empty spray bottle in the basement (which I just happened to find when we deep cleaned down there...yuck.)

Beth helped me and we had to use a make-shift funnel...but hey, whatever works!

I doubled the recipe because I use a cheap-o fabric softener (I had a coupon) and I wanted the scent to be more concentrated. It smells amazing!!!!

The one and only complaint I have, is that the scent doesn't seem to stick around long enough for my liking, but I believe that has to do with the Purex I was using. If I would spring for Downy I am sure it would last a lot longer, but I don't see that happening in my near future.

Get on this one people, saves a lot of money and smells SO good....it really does work!

Wish you could give this a whiff! Haha!

Quick Egg Salad - PROVEN

2013-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is a tip my sister, Ann found. She was kind enough to share her photos and results with me.

She found this great idea on Pinterest to make a Quick and Easy Egg Salad using a cooling rack to "cut" the eggs.

It's easy to say that this was a winner in her book and it was a fun activity for one of her boys to help her with.

Josiah is 3 and loves helping in the kitchen! Have I mentioned before that I have the cutest and smartest nephews in the world?

Ann said: It's really easy for an adult to do, but [Josiah's] hands got kind of tired of pushing (I make egg salad with a dozen eggs). So, I did the pushing and then he did the "pounding," which is pounding on the rack to get the bits to fall that didn't get pushed through the first time.

Below are the photos she shared with me, makes me hungry!

Oxygen Bleach to Clean Grout - PROVEN

2013-01-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

My husband came up with this idea actually, and I later found it on Pinterest.

He used AJAX Oxygen Bleach, Vinegar and Water to clean our bathroom grout.

The online version I found did not include white vinegar, but he used it anyway and the results were amazing. He decided on the Oxygen Bleach because it is safe for kids and pets and we have both :)

I am embarrassed about the condition of our grout in the before photos, so please don't judge.

I knew this item needed to be crossed off our to-do list, we just never seemed to get around to it. I came home to my husband on his hands and knees in the bathroom with a scrub brush and the stinky smell of vinegar. The results were beyond what I could have imagined and I am so happy that this is done.

Our tiles look brand new and the vinegar smell only lingered while he was scrubbing, airing it out was a breeze ;)

Can you tell which area has been scrubbed??

Chicken Quesadillas - PROVEN

2013-01-02T17:09:00.001-08:00

Nick and I bought a lot of chicken breasts and we wanted to try a new recipe for Chicken Quesadillas I found on Pinterest.

http://pinterest.com/pin/43839796344518481/

Of course, I changed it up some to make it our own but I followed the basic principles outlined in the recipe.

Here are some changes I made:

We used boiled and shredded chicken instead of a rotisserie chicken.
We sautéed the chicken with taco seasoning
I used minced garlic from a jar instead of fresh garlic
I added sour cream mixed with hot sauce to the bottom shell before adding the cheese
I added more cheese to the quesadilla once the chicken was added
We used a quesadilla maker instead of a pan as they did in the recipe

They turned out great! They were filling and delicious and not all that unhealthy.....

Enjoy!

Salt Dough Hand Ornaments - ON THE FENCE

2012-12-20T05:34:00.001-08:00

My good friend Octavia Zuniga tested this Pin on making Salt Dough Hand Ornaments that look like Santa Claus. I think it's an excellent idea and I am so glad she shared it with me along with the photos and her experience with this crafty project.

I have had great experience with the Salt Dough Footprint Keepsake so I knew this would be an easy and fun craft to do with kids.

Her main grievance is that once the ornaments are completed, they are far too heavy to hang on a Christmas tree so the term "ornament" should be used loosely here. Also, that is why I have labeled this pin as "on the fence." It was a great and fun project to do with her kiddos, but at the same time it wasn't the same as the pin suggested and the use of the "ornament" on a tree is out of the question.

She did say that if you were to add some string and use a suction cup they would look very cute hanging on a window or using a nail on the wall. Her idea now is to do this every year and hang them up as a sort of "growth chart" for each child which I think is a fantastic idea!

What you will need (along with paint)

This project did turn out awesome and I think very cute, they will just be used in a different way than the site suggested.

All done and very cute!!

DIY No Sew Tutu - PROVEN

2012-12-15T08:40:00.001-08:00

Madison has a photo shoot coming up for her 1st Birthday (don't even get me started on how my tiny infant morphed into a toddler)

Although I am already nostalgic about her first year with us, I am very excited to watch her grow up and to mark the occasion I decided to make her a tutu to wear in her photo shoot!

I used 2 separate guides from Pinterest to make this "No Sew Tutu." They were both rather confusing in their own ways so I used them both and came upon my method using a combination of the two!

Link 1
Link 2

I went to Joann Fabric and purchased a total of 2 yards of tulle (net) fabric. I realize now I should have probably had extra for those "just in case" moments, and to be honest I didn't read how much of it I would need before I went to the store...oops!

I ended up having just enough, I would have had extras if I hadn't cut it incorrectly to begin with.

Following Link 1's directions I decided that I would measure Madison's waist (18"), add 2 inches and cut my elastic (20") and tie it together.

After that I laid the tulle out and determined I wanted each strip to be about 8" long (following the guide on Link 2) I doubled that because when you tie the knots you lose length because they are folded in half. I didn't measure the width of the strips exactly. I figured 2-2 1/2" would be close enough (and it really made no difference in my opinion)

I had more purple tulle than pink so I used a pattern that I thought would work best to utilize all of my cut pieces. I would use 2 purple in one knot and a purple/pink combination on the next knot. I continued that pattern all the way around.

One tutorial tells you to use a chair back to hold the elastic while you tie on the knots. The skirt I am making is for a tiny person and the chair back would have really stretched out the elastic so I used her walk and play toy handle instead! Mom's learn how to improvise!!

When it came time to actually tie the knots, I was very confused as to how either tutorial did it but I believe the photo guide on Link 2 was best. You want to fold the pieces in half, making a loop at the top. Use your index finger and thumb to open the loop while holding the tails in your other hand. Put your hand with the loops under the elastic and grab the tails with the same hand that is holding the loop and pull the tails through. I hope that makes sense. You do want all of your knots facing the same direction so do this method for the remainder of your tutu.

Half Done!

When I first started I was concerned, to be honest. I didn't think that the material I got would be enough, I didn't think it would look good together for some reason and I thought that the tutu would be too flat.

I could not have been more wrong. As you add to the skirt with more and more knots the full effect of the tutu begins to form and I am so pleased with my results I will definitely do this a lot more throughout her life!

I really hope you try this one, it would make a great gift and I only spent $7.99 total for this project, and for my first time doing this and reading the directions as I went.....it only took me about 25 minutes!!

Reindeer Cupcakes - PROVEN

2012-12-08T06:33:00.002-08:00

My good friend, Amanda Benn found this super cute recipe online and sent it to me. From the first time I saw it I knew we would have to try it as soon as possible.

These reindeer cupcakes were very easy and really fun to make!!

We doubled the batch so we would each have 2 dozen to share with friends and family, or to devour ourselves!

Okay, hold on to your hats and get ready to laugh at me, but I have never made cupcakes before, ever. Not that I recall anyway, I am sure I have watched and "helped" my mom when I was a child but not in my adult life.

We used Sixlets for the Reindeer eyes

I was no expert on filling the cups, I got cake mix everywhere at which point Amanda took over for me. I was just making too much of a mess!!

I recommend making sure that ALL the cupcakes are completely done cooking. When it came time to frost them, there were about 8 (out of 48) that were crumbling and falling apart, so we decided just to eat those and not decorate them! DARN! :)

We used red peanut butter M&Ms for the noses!

I think that they turned out amazing! It was an awesome time with my great friend, Amanda and we got these delicious and adorable treats!!

We liked them better as Rudolphs!

Frozen Yogurt Covered Fruits - PROVEN

2012-12-04T11:33:00.001-08:00

Frozen Yogust Covered Fruit

This idea, pictures and approval came to me from my good friend Katherine Subu. She saw this awesome idea on Pinterest and gave it a try. She then suggested it for my blog and took all the following pictures.

She said the recipe calls for plain vanilla greek yogurt, but she substituted that for Vanilla Honey Greek yogurt which sounds amazing all by itself!

Any fresh fruit would work great in this recipe but Kat used blueberries she had on hand :)

Finished Product! (Wish I was in New Jersey right now!)

She said they are DELISH and should be tried and shared! Spread the word people!

P.S. if you try a pin and want me to share your results, like I did here, feel free to email me at jdenig@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading!

Wall Art from Christmas Tree Ornaments - ON THE FENCE

2012-11-30T16:39:00.003-08:00

I saw this awesome idea on Pinterest to put cheap dollar store ornaments into a shadow box and ta-da you have yourself some pretty neat wall art.

I went to Dollar General that very day and purchased some multi-colored--but mostly pink and purple--small ornaments, since they were to be used as a wall decoration in my daughter's room.

When I got home I discovered that I had grossly overestimated the depth of my shadow box and the ornaments were too large, even though I purchased the smallest round ones available. This is my fault and why I have labeled this post as "on the fence." If I am able to find an alternative shadow box I will definitely try this again.

For now, I stuck the ornaments in a glass boot and some mason jars with little battery operated candles, which is cute enough for now, it adds a nice splash of color to the counter and when the lights are off in the kitchen the candles create a nice warm glow.

I will try the shadow box idea if I can get my hands on one with more depth and for a reasonable price!

If you have tried this idea, please share your results with me! I would love to hear your story!

South Dakota Meat Loaf - PROVEN

2012-11-30T06:41:00.003-08:00

This is yet another pin that I created on Pinterest found in my Taste of Home cookbook that we received as a wedding present.

Meat Loaf has always been a favorite of my husband's so I wanted to make him one that we could both enjoy since I wasn't too fond of it to begin with. My mom didn't make it all that often, I don't think either one of my parent's were huge fans.

I found this South Dakota Meat Loaf recipe and decided to give it a go. This was about 5 years ago!!

Meat Loaf is sort of a love or hate food and I thought I hated it. Not anymore! This is a staple in our house and on our menu at least once a month.

The first time I made it I followed the directions exactly, now I use a little more Worcestershire sauce, a green pepper (if I have one) and basically more than double the recipe. I usually make about a 3.5-4 lb meat loaf!!

Usually, I like to take after photos of my cooked meals, but we are usually so anxious to dig in I am having a hard time finding any!! Enjoy :)

I don't know what about this recipe makes it "South Dakota-like" but I'll take it!

Make Real Lashes Look Fake - PROVEN

2012-11-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

I've never really had a problem making my eyelashes appear long and lush, I was blessed with nice lashes at birth...thanks Mama!!!

Also, I have actually tried to apply fake lashes before and not one person even noticed that I was wearing them.

Although it's not really needed for me, what girl doesn't want fuller looking lashes? I saw this pin about making your natural lashes appear to be false.

I watched the video one day and decided that I would make this trick a part of my morning routine. I have documented the results below with photos, see for yourself, this really does work!

Before

Cheap-o Eyeliner I Use ;)

After Applying Eyeliner

Eyelash Curler (or torture device, as my hubby says haha!)

Curling!

After Curling

The 2 Mascaras I Used

After 1st Mascara Application

After 2nd Mascara Application

I really love my results, and I have been using this method to apply my eye makeup since I saw the pin and watched the video!

Hopefully you have good luck with it! Please share your results!

Also, I want to let you know that I do not buy any eye makeup remover, I use baby oil. It works wonderfully with a cotton ball. I swear that's all that is packaged in the eye makeup remover at the store, anyway!

Tomato Cage Christmas Decoration - PROVEN

2012-11-20T17:20:00.001-08:00

I am pretty sure most of my friends have used this little trick already, but I thought I would share my experience.

When I saw this pin on a cool homemade Christmas decoration, I just had to try it!

I was able to borrow some tomato cages from my awesome cousins Shanna and Kevin ;)
I thought I would need an extension cord, but the outlet I was going to use doesn't have a 3-prong socket so I was able to improvise.

Make sure you CHECK YOUR LIGHTS before you go through the entire process of wrapping them around the tomato cage. I had tested mine about 5 days prior to this and figured I was safe. I was wrong. I waited until it was dark out and flipped the switch inside and nothing happened. I checked everything and all the plugs were in order, it was the lights. Something must have happened to them in the 5 days since I had checked them last. Bummer!

Because of my mishap I had to wait until I had some more free time to re-wrap the lights and was just now able to complete my project 3 days later.

My front porch has a light and last year I purchased a Light Socket Adapter so I had a good place to plug in Christmas lights. Since I couldn't use an extension cord with the adapter I purchased I was able to prop up my "tree" on the grill ledge! Love to improvise!

I am very pleased with the results and I would greatly recommend this project for you. Really, all you need is a tomato cage and a a string of lights. I guess you could doll it up a little with some tinsel, a star or some other decorations but I didn't want to risk losing anything in the blizzard-like Michigan winter.

Happy Holidays!!!

Homemade Baby Food - PROVEN

2012-11-16T08:28:00.003-08:00

Every Spring, my husband and I plant a couple of massive gardens. We grow everything from hot peppers to pumpkins.

This year, we had a baby to consider when planting the garden so we decided to plant a few extra summer squash and zuchinni plants.

Fortunatley for us, Madison was loving squash baby food right at the time it was coming ripe in the garden.

Summer Squash

I found this recipe for Homemade Baby Food on Pinterest and have used it several times since. It is very easy, even if you don't grow a garden, produce can be quite a bit cheaper to purchase than baby food!

Squash, cut into chunks, skins on, boil until tender (only leave on skins for ages 6 months +, smaller babies have a hard time digesting the skins.

I made several batches of this food, I used summer squash and zuchinni mixed or just summer squash alone with no added flavorings and it was a huge hit in the Denig house!

Pureed in Food Processor

I saved all of her purchased baby food containers for easy storage

All done! Ready to eat!

Explosive Shower Head Cleaner - PROVEN

2012-11-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

Finally!!! I used baking soda as a cleaner and I wasn't disappointed.

Once again, we have a water softener on the brink of a break down and well water that is really rusty, so we get a lot of rust build up. Scrubbing the tub, sinks and toilets is a constant pain but I wanted to test this idea out I found on Pinterest to remove water residue and build up called the Explosive Shower Head Cleaner.

I wasn't expecting much, since I haven't had great luck with the cleaning pins, but I wanted to test it anyway.

Before

Vinegar and Baking Soda Mix (Explosive Mix)

Let soak overnight (I didn't have a twist tie so I used a large hair tie!)

I noticed that the water build up and residue was greatly diminished, if not gone completely in most places on the shower head. Also, it actually removed some of the rust, which I wasn't expecting (I'll have to scrub with some CLR or "The Works" to finish the job) but that's fine with me.

After using this product the shower seems to have more water pressure since there is no more build up around the spouts!

Overall, I am very pleased with these results!

Treating a Pimple with Toothpaste - BUSTED

2012-11-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

Risking embarassment and showing pictures of a pimple I would usually cover up completely. I'm here to give the facts people and sometimes that comes at my own expense!

I read on Pinterest (and elsewhere) that putting toothpaste, not gel, on a pimple overnight will greatly reduce it's size and appearance if not remove the pimple completly. I put this theory to the test last night.

Below are my before, during and after pictures, don't laugh....

Before applying Toothpaste

I used Colgate

Redy for bed!

Bummer, not much difference at all!

I left the paste on all night and in the morning, I swear it was more red. This after pic is after applying foundation but no concealer. Looks like I should just use my toothpaste for my teeth! Better luck next time, Pinterest!

Cleaning a Glass Top Stove with Baking Soda - BUSTED

2012-11-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

From now on, I am only using my baking soda for baking. Last time I used it to clean my dishwasher I was disappointed and ended up without any in the cupboard when I went to make Banana Bread.

This pin says to use baking soda, hot water and dish soap to get your glass top stove sparkling clean. I should have known it was too good to be true. Although the results weren't non-existent, I probably would have gotten these same results using just a wet rag and some elbow grease.

Here are the before pictures of my glass top:

In Process Pics:

I followed all the directions exactly, except I did leave the rags on longer than 15 minutes (it said to do this for added effect)

Below are pictures of the result. Not the greatest. I'm not saying that this process didn't work at all, but I was expecting more "wow" factor. I'll stick with my trusty glass top stove cleaner and plastic razor blade, in fact, I will probably go finish the job the baking soda didn't right now.