The Little Mommy That Could

Tips & Tricks for the Home (Inspired by Many)

2012-06-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to have a wonderful grandmother who raised me from a very young age. It was her influence that fueled my passion for being the mother that I am today. There has never been anyone who has believed in me or supported me more than she has. She is truly is my hero, and is the smartest person I have ever known. There is not a single bad thing that anyone can ever say about her. She is THAT kind of person. I love her more than I could ever express.

That being said, one of my favorite memories from my childhood is reading the newspaper with my grandparents. It was a daily routine. Their dog would go fetch the paper from the driveway and we would all have breakfast and read our sections of the paper. My section was the "Dear Abby" section which also had the comics lol. But it ALSO had the "Dear Heloise" with all of the tricks for the home in it. My grandmother would always clip the ones that she thought she might use later and place them in a pile by her lamp.

Maybe it was all of those articles, or it was the generation she grew up in..but my grandmother can ALWAYS be counted on to help me get rid of a stain!

Now in this day and age, instead of a neat pile of clippings we have Pinterest and we can "repin" these nifty tips and tricks right on the internet! I think my grandmother and Dear Heloise would be proud of all of the nifty tips and tricks I have been able to compile :) They have come from google, pinterest, blogs, Dear Heloise, and just from here or there! I wanted to put them all here for you to be able to help you in your every day life! Enjoy!

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COFFEE FILTERS –More than just for your much-needed caffeine fix in the morning, coffee filters are an AMAZING household helper!

Cleaning! Because they are lint free, you can use coffee filters to clean glass, CD’s/DVD’s, computer monitors and even your iPad.
Laundry! Run out of dryer sheets? Apply a few drops of fabric softener to a coffee filter, rub the sides together and stick it in the dryer.
Stinky Shoes? Pour some baking soda into a coffee filter, wrap it up with a rubber band and stick it into smelly athletic shoes to absorb the stench.
Decor! Look up some nifty craft projects on Pinterest to see wreaths, lampshades and MORE made from coffee filters!

DRYER SHEETS – Speaking of dryer sheets, did you know…

Air Fresheners! Put a couple of sheets in your closets, under the bed, or in luggage for a simple, long lasting and fresher smelling space!
Dust Repellant! Run dryer sheets along your baseboards to prevent dust from collecting on them!
Bug Repellant! Put dryer sheets in your back pocket to help repel bugs and bees!
Dish Cleaner! The anti-static formula used in dryer sheets can help remove baked-on food from pots or pans. Place a sheet in the pot/pan, fill it with warm water and let sit overnight. The next morning, the baked-on food should be loose enough to clean as usual.
Scissor Sharpener! Rub a dryer sheet along the blades of dull scissors for a quick fix.
Thread De-tangler! Try running the needle through a dryer sheet before sewing to prevent the thread from tangling.

MARSHMALLOWS -If you are able to keep them around longer than a few days (they go quickly at my house!).

Brown Sugar! Stash a few marshmallows in a box of brown sugar or the sugar bowl to prevent the sugar from hardening or clumping.
Ice Cream! Make ice cream cones less messy by sticking a few marshmallows in the bottom of the cone to prevent the ice cream from leaking out.
Sore Throats! Eat three or four marshmallows to soothe a sore throat. The gelatin is very helpful when it comes to relieving irritation and soothing pain in your throat.

CLEAR NAIL POLISH –

Floors! A tiny bit of clear nail polish can touch up small dents and scratches on hardwood floors and can help prevent further damage to the area.
Rust! To prevent rust rings in the shower, you can apply clear nail polish to the bottom of the shaving cream can.
Ribbons! Keep ribbons (or even shoelaces) from fraying by painting the ends with clear nail polish.
Automotive! Scratch the paint on your car? Brush a coat of clear nail polish over the scratch to prevent it from rusting until you are able to get it repaired.
Jewelry! Reset loose stones in inexpensive costume jewelry with a coat or two of clear nail polish. This also gives the jewels a little extra sparkle.

TOOTHPASTE –Not just to make your breath kissable fresh!

Caulk! No caulk on hand? Use a bit of (white) toothpaste. This works really well on small pinholes and white woodwork.
Stain Remover! Use a spot of toothpaste to remove stains from carpet. Just brush it in the carpet, rinse and the stain will come right out.
Pimples! Overnight blemish cream. It works. Enough said.
Toothpaste can soothe pain from minor burns (that don’t involve an open wound). It has been said to temporarily relive the pain and actually prevents the wound from opening.
Leather! Use toothpaste to remove scratches from leather. Just dab some toothpaste on the scratch, wipe it off with a soft cloth then wipe the area with a damp cloth. Be sure not to use whitening toothpaste, as it might bleach the leather.
Onion Smell! Get rid of the nasty onion smell on your hands by “washing” them with toothpaste.

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These are what I have found from: Bethany's Blog I haven't done all of these personally, but she did an AMAZING job compiling them. She has TONS of cute stuff on her blog, check it out! When I do get to do them myself, I will update!

1. I looked for months for this tip- and it came from Vivienne over at the V-Spot Blog. To clean the grease off of the burners on the stove- put them in a zip lock baggie with about 1/4 cup of ammonia and seal the bag. Then let it sit overnight (outside is best, in case the bag breaks and you can avoid the stink!) and the fumes will take off the burned on grease and you can wipe it away with a sponge in the morning.

HOLY CRAP. Vivienne, you have no idea how much time I have wasted scrubbing those stupid things. You are a genius.

2. Kim had the BRILLIANT idea how to clean our shower heads: to get the built up residue off of your shower head, tie a baggy of vinegar around a shower head. Leave it there over night, and it will clean everything off with no work! (PS- Go check her out at Tales and Tips from A Real Life Housewife, shes full of great ideas and sweet as can be!)

3. To keep spaghetti sauce from staining your plastic ware, spray the inside of the storage container with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray. It will prevent the red from soaking into the plastic. If they still smell like sauce after you've washed them, place a cut up lemon inside and zap it in the microwave for a minute.

4. If you frost a cake and are going to store it in the fridge, wet a piece of newspaper and set it on a plate. All of the fridge odors will go into the newspaper and not the cake. A great hint for if you have a fridge full of food for a party.

5. The sun is a great bleaching agent. You can place wet fabrics or plastic ware into the sun and it will bleach the stains out for you.

6. From instructables.com, aspirin can not only prevent heart attacks but also remove sweat stains, take the green out of blonde hair in the summer, treat pimples and get rid of dandruff. To remove sweat stains crush up enough pills to make a paste with water to cover the stain. Let set and then wash as usual. To remove the green from the pool from your hair, dissolve 6-8 tabs in water and let soak onto hair for 10 minutes. For problem acne, make a paste and apply directly to the pimple. For Dandruff- crush two aspirins and mix it into your normal amount of shampoo (regular shampoo, not the dandruff kind!) you use in the shower. Let sit on hair for a few minutes and rinse away the flakes!

7. Tossing a few pennies in your garden to make your hydrangeas blue. (My grandma also swears it prevents slugs, but I dont have slugs in my garden so I dont know if this is true or not!)

8. Oh Martha, how I love thee. Store your sheets in a pillowcase. Keeps everything together and it makes for easy, compact storage.

9. A Real Simple Tip- Once you open the brown sugar, toss a few marshmallows in to keep it soft.

10. This one came from Shape Magazine- To remove stains from nails after wearing a dark polish, scrub nails with a whitening toothpaste and a nail brush.

11. To make your own nail polish, make a little pile of eyeshadow (great idea for the broken shadows we all have lying around!) and mix in a little clear nail polish. By using a matte topcoat, you can even get the Matte look here from Nevertoomuchgliiter!

If youre into nails, you have to check the awesomness out that is her blog. I die.

12. When you cut up an apple keep it from turning brown by using a rubber band to hold it together in its original apple shape.

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13. A bounce sheet in your back pocket will repel mosquitoes. Place them around your house to repel mice as well.

14. Found on Realsimple.com To get the water spots off of chrome faucets, after cleaning rub them with a piece of waxed paper- it will keep the water spots and fingerprints from sticking to the clean metal. You can also use a piece of waxed paper on your swifter sweeper. Just rip off a piece the size of the sweeper, attach, and wipe away. The dirt sticks to the paper- so much cheaper than buying the refill kits.

15. If you get a water mark on a wooden table, rub the stain with Petroleum Jelly and let sit for 24 hours. Then wipe off the excess and polish as usual.

16. Cornstarch will untangle all kinds of knots. Rub some into the knot in shoelaces, chains, string etc and watch as it comes apart.

17. Found her on Pinterest- and Diane from In My Own Style has one of the best why didnt I think of that ideas ever. When painting, wrap a rubber band around the can over the opening. Then you can dip in the brush and wipe the excess paint off onto the rubber band, rather than the edge of the can.

18. You can make your own ice packs by filling a zip lock baggie with dish soap, then placing into a second baggie to seal in leaks. The soap wont freeze totally, allowing you to mold it to your body. Bonus, you can get a few packs out of a $1 bottle of soap from the dollar store.

19. To make perfectly shredded chicken, simply toss hot/warm cooked chicken into the mixer with the cookie paddle attachment. Turn it on speed 5 and in about 30 seconds it will have done all the work for you. This came from Simply Healthy Family- and if you like to eat you NEED to check out the recipies over there!!

20. When you take down Christmas lights, wrap them around a square of cardboard for storage. A good use for all of the shirt boxes that get ripped open Christmas morning. Keeps them untangled and easy to put away.

21. When hammering in a nail, use a clothes pin to hold the nail in place. No more hammering your fingers!

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22. You can make your own magic erasers for cleaning by simply buying some melamine foam. You can buy 30 of them on Amazon for $15. No more paying $4.69 for four!

23. The tip came from Pinterest and linked me to Jaimelyn from over at I {heart} Nap Time. let us in on this AMAZING secret- baby powder will remove sand from skin. Perfect for keeping feet clean!

Head on over to I {heart} Nap Time and see some awesome recipies, craft ideas and overall awesomeness.

24. Soak old paint brushes in HOT vinegar for 30 minutes and then wash. The old paint will come out and they will be as good as new. Just one of the many ideas Ive found on This Old House :)

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25. Chalk will remove grease stains from clothes. Simply rub the stain with chalk, then toss in the wash as normal. I learned this when I was student teaching :)

26. Add some Velcro to a dish towel to keep it secure on the handle of the oven.

27. When a sweater gets pilly from being in the dryer, run a cheap disposable razor over the fabric to shave off the fuzz! They used to make little machines that were basically mens razors for this back in the 90's.

28. From Martha- save cabinet space in the kitchen, hang a tension rod and use S hooks to hang pots and pans. Then a magazine rack attached to the door will hold lids in place. Also, tension rods turned vertical will sort cookie sheets and pans so you don't have to move a bunch of stuff to get the pan you want.

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29. To clean a cast iron skillet, toss about 1/2 cup coarse salt into the pan and rub with a soft sponge. The salt removes excess oils and takes off the bits of food without messing with the seasoning of the pan.

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30. Did you know that strawberries can be hulled using a regular drinking straw. I most certainly did not. Thank you Williams and Sonoma for charging me $8 for a strawberry huller for nothing...

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31. Iron a little baby powder into the under arms of your white shirts. It will keep oil from seeping into the threads, thus keeping them white.

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32. Bed Skirts can be really costly, so take a tip from Martha! Get an extra fitted sheet and cover the box spring. You can get the plain ones for around $7 from target.

33. I found this from Chica and Jo a super long time ago, and it has saved me hours of aggrivation. When painting something, use a few push pins in the back of the object to lift it off of the table. No more sticking to whatever its painted on! It took me forever to find the link, but check out tons of their DIY ideas!

34. Tired of having your shoes bang around in the dryer? Check this guy out.

35. Keep the stove top clean by applying a thin layer of car wax, then wipe it off. It keeps food from sticking. Anything that sticks easily wipes away with a magic eraser!

All Natural Flea Treatments

2012-05-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

It's THAT time of year again!! YES...BUG SEASON! We live in the country (and I mean COUNTRY! lol), AND we live by a pond. I have heard there are some plants to help naturally repel mosquitoes and I am planning on looking into it further and trying it out this summer. Keep checking with me to see how it turns out.

First things first. We have two dogs and a cat and although I have kept flea collars on them all, they keep scratching! I don't want to set off bug bombs (well I DO but I don't want the chemicals and the clean up from the chemicals after). So I set out to find a more natural option. And find it I did!! Eucalyptus is a natural flea repellant and safe for cats (AND it smells quite nice!). Just put a FEW drops on the back of your kitty's neck every two weeks or so to help keep the fleas away!

For your carpets and furniture, you can sprinkle them with baking soda and table salt mixed in equal amounts. Leave it overnight and vacuum it up in the morning. Try doing this for two rounds to kill the adults, then do it again after about a week and a half to two weeks later and it will get any of the eggs that they have left. If anyone else has any other suggestions for me to try, send them my way!!!

From Proper to Rocker

2012-05-17T10:27:00.002-07:00

So my husband is a drummer. So when we had our son I wanted nothing more than to dress our little one up like his daddy! But it is hard to find that "rocker" style. I stumbled on this little store owner through a mommy's forum and they just keep growing and growing! I LOVE their merchandise and wanted to share their awesomeness! Check them out! From Proper to Rocker

Introducing..My "Super Moms"!

2012-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!! I mentioned earlier that I have several wonderful women that I will be joining forces with and working together to build our business. We are all unique and the goal is to help one another so that we have a greater chance of success! I can't think of a better day to introduce this part of my blog!!

I have several ladies I am going to start show casing and I will have all of the information for you to get in contact with them if you would like to have something custom designed and ordered. I will also be adding their products to my online store for easy purchase! You can click the Toodle Bug Design Tab above to check us all out!! I will be adding more as I get the images/details from the other moms! Keep checking back!!

*~ MELISA ~*

(Home Decor * Custom Wall Letters)

*~ Michelle ~*

(Photography * Custom Height Charts)

Michelle Sherman Photography Facebook Page

*~ Brittany ~*

(Premier Jewelry)

*~ Lyndsey ~*

(Custom Binkie Covers * Hooded Towels)

*~ Audrey ~*

(Custom Bird Feeders * Quilts)

Photo Jewelry

2012-05-02T12:48:00.002-07:00

I requested pictures from my friends and family to use to make photo jewelry. I think they turned out great! I currently have several custom orders that I am working on and I will post the completed pictures soon! On some of the pictures, I couldn't get my cell phone to focus on the images as well as I would have liked. If you are interested in purchasing an item but would like to see a clearer picture first... just message me: toodlebugdesign@gmail.com

You can also message me there to make a purchase. The Necklaces are $20 and the earrings are $10. Or $28 for a full set! I will give you 10% off your purchase if you will like my Facebook page and "share" me! I will also give you an additional 10% off for EVERY PERSON you refer to me! So you could potentially get a set for FREE!

DIY Candle Making

2012-04-30T10:02:00.001-07:00

What you will need:

-Container for the wax

-Wax

-Essential or Fragrance Oil

-Wick that's compatible with your wax

-Pencil

-Double Boiler (I use a plastic measuring cup and regular pot instead)

You can use cups, tin containers, wine glasses, anything like that. I use Mason Jars. I found these 12 ounce containers at Walmart for $6.95 per dozen. With taxes that makes them come to .63 cents each. Plus, I like them better than the name brand because there is no etching or writing on them and it looks better for my label.

You can find wax at any local craft store or online. I personally use soy wax that I order online. It comes in "chip" form. That makes it easier to melt. Wax at Michael's usually comes in a two pound block and it is best to cut it up as small as you can, but it doesn't have to be perfect. One pound is equal to 16 ounces. So you can get 2 1/2 - 12 ounce candles or 4 - 8 ounce candles with one container for about $9.99. (Look for coupons to possibly get 40% off. Especially at Michael's!).

You can use a double boiler for the next step. But I sell wax melts for my business and I found it MUCH easier to buy plastic measuring cups at the Dollar Tree and labeling them for each individual scent that I have so it's easy to pour and there is ZERO clean up. If you are doing it this way, fill a regular pot up a little more than half way with water and put the measuring cups inside with the handles hanging out. My pot has handles on the side where I can hook the measuring cup handles into and it keeps them steady while the water boils.

This is the way the wax will look as it melts. You can leave it be until it melts completely, or use a spoon to break it apart so it will melt faster (like I started to do to the container on the right).

***If you would like to add candle dye (available in the candle department at any craft store) this would be the time to do it. I don't ever use dyes, it's just my preference because I have a young son and him and colored wax doesn't mix well lol. Follow the directions on the candle dye container.

While the wax is melting, you can prepare your wicks. Make sure that you buy the wicks that are compatible with your wax. It will clearly say it on the container. I got this one at Michael's for $4.99 for six. Making them come to almost $1 a piece after taxes.

Take your pencil and start wrapping the top of the wick around the pencil in a circular motion until the bottom of the wick is firmly touching the bottom of the container and the pencil is holing it straight up to the top.

Once your wax is completely melted, add your essential or fragrance until your wax is the strength you are happy with. I usually use about an ounce of oil for every pound of wax. This is totally up to you. Stir the oil in and pour your wax into the container.

It's okay if your wick moves a little during this process, just center it again when you are done pouring.

Let it cool!

If the top looks a little jagged like this after it cools, you can make it look flat and even by either adding more scented wax to the top or using a blow drier to re-melt it so it will harden evenly.

Trim your wick and decorate the jar with a pretty ribbon or label! Enjoy!!!

For one 12 ounce jar, the cost is $6.23!

If you use the 40% coupons for the wax and the wicks it's only $4.83!

A pretty inexpensive (yet personal) gift to give to people!

DIY Floor Cleaner

2012-04-28T20:51:00.002-07:00

I have NOT made this yet. But I wanted to post the website that my friend, Lyndsey shared with me. I will update this post as soon as I try it for myself! Thanks Lyndsey! :)

DIY Floor Cleaner

DIY Fabric Wreath

2012-04-28T20:42:00.002-07:00

I found this cute little owl at the Dollar Tree a few months ago and I've kept him stored away until I found the right craft for him!

I am hoping to make quite a few Christmas wreaths to sell when the time comes, but that's so far away! So I decided to make one now to sell at my next Trade's Day and to use my owl. This is how I did it!

Pick out the fabric that you want to use and cut it into strips. It does NOT have to be perfect in ANY way.

Foam wreaths are so expensive! These straw ones are almost half the price and if you leave the plastic on, they look exactly the same but STURDIER! And they are almost half the price of foam.

Hot glue one end on the fabric strip onto the wreath and wrap it TIGHTLY around the wreath until you get to the end of the strip and secure that end with the hot glue as well. Keep repeating this step until the wreath is completely covered.

At this point you want to decide what (if any) accents you wish to make. I wanted to add an accent using the fabric I already had. So I decided to make a bow with it.

Take a strip of fabric and run a line of hot blue down each side and fold it over to create a "seamed" look. REMEMBER!! It does NOT have to be perfect!!!

Tie the strip into a bow! The owl already came with some attached fishing line and hanging it from the bow is a REALLY cute option. Its simple, classy.

Ultimately, I decided to add a beautiful flower that I had by hot gluing it in the center of the bow and perched my owl right next to it (securing it with hot glue as well). As I've said, I have a small country home. I think my little country wreath is a sweet accent to my front door. Your wreath can be anything to reflect your personality. Just have fun with it!!!

Fooled Me Once...Shame On You...

2012-04-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was hanging out in the paint section at my local Wal-Mart (looking for "oops" paint that evidently they no longer carry *boo*) ...when I saw the most AMAZING THING! Magnetic Spray Paint!!! The crafter in me instantly started thinking of a million things that I could do with such a neat little invention.

But first, I needed to know if it was clear. I asked the store associate who was kind enough to test it out for me and it did indeed appear to be clear (it's not btw). I also bought an 18x24 frame and decided to create an UBER cute background behind the glass of the frame, and then spray the magnetic paint on top of the glass to make a magnetic shadow box of sorts. Cute idea, right?

By the time I was done creating the background, I was feeling pretty proud of myself and my craftiness. I put it in the frame and grabbed my spray can and gave the glass a good dose. Which turned it completely gray. :( Not giving up, I thought "okay" I'll put the fabric OVER the glass and if the fabric is thin enough, it will still work!

I STILL think it will work, but I won't know until I buy another magnetic board and cover it with fabric and see. Apparently "Margnetic Spray Paint" is too good to be true because I couldn't get ANY magnets to stick to it (with or without fabric on it). Pooh...

I heard that other people have had success with the actual paint instead of the spray can. I don't know anything about it personally. But I am not giving up on the idea! I'm going to look up some coupons and go to my local craft store (I LOVE Michael's!) and find a magnet board and try it a different way. Wish me luck!

Good Night..But STAY POSTED!!

2012-04-27T00:25:00.001-07:00

I will be making some magnets, magnet boards, laundry signs, candles and so much more this weekend! I also need to add the recipe for my MIRACLE CLEANER that I found on Pinterest, AND I made "Popcorn" Cupcakes for my son's birthday and I will be posting pictures and a how-to for those (relax it's not REALLY popcorn!) So much to do...so little sleep :0) Goodnight EVERYONE!

Do it Yourself Liquid Laundry Detergent

2012-04-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

As a mommy and wife, it seems as if my entire world REVOLVES around laundry. No matter HOW HARD I try, there are ALWAYS dirty clothes in my hamper! While watching "Nineteen Kids and Counting" I discovered that the Duggars make their own laundry soap! Right away I knew I had to make it too. I made a small batch of powdered soap and it was fine. But I love my liquid detergent! got this recipe from http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm.

Before anything else, I went to the Dollar Tree and bought an "Iced Tea" jug to keep my soap in. You do not have to do this at all. It was just something I chose to do. Because this recipe will create TWO GALLONS of soap, you will need enough containers to store it in as well as a pot big enough to make it in. For my extra gallon of soap, I used an empty water gallon jug that I made SURE to mark clearly because the soap IS clear. I don't really think anyone could mistake a gel liquid for water, but better safe than sorry :) I had bought a "soap grater" (which is actually just a cheese grater that I ONLY use for soap) at the dollar store a while back when I was making my soap balls. I also have a wooden spoon that I bought at the Dollar Tree as well to use JUST for soap.

You will need:

1/3 bar of Zote Laundry Soap (or any other laundry soap your store may carry)

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

Cheese Grater

Spoon

Funnel (Optional)

Pot big enough to hold two gallons OR a bucket big enough to mix two gallons in

Containers to keep your new Laundry Soap in!

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Note:

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel.

~The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don’t see suds, that is ok. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

Optional: If you want your soap to have some sort of scent you can scent this with ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice.

Total cost: SEVENTY ONE CENTS for 64 loads of laundry!!!

Do It Yourself Clorox Clean Up

2012-04-26T23:38:00.001-07:00

Again, ALL of the "Do It Yourself" cleaner recipes I have came from the same source. I have PERSONALLY made and tried them all and I LOVE them (and the money I saved). I REALLY want to give credit to the site where I got my recipes from so I will take time out specifically to find that site and I will let you all know where I went to for all of MY tips!

PLEASE make sure to NEVER mix ammonia and bleach! It can be lethal!!! Check your laundry detergent before mixing! Usually, laundry detergent doesn't have ammonia but you can NEVER be too careful!!

Total Cost Per Bottle: TWO CENTS!!

1 Empty and Rinsed-Out Bottle of Clorox Cleanup/Empty Plastic Spray Bottle
1/4 Cup Bleach
1 Teaspoon Laundry Detergent
Fill the rest of the bottle with Water and Shake!

Do It Yourself Windex

2012-04-26T23:26:00.001-07:00

I REALLY need to find the site where I found all of these recipes on. But I have had a LOT of electronic issues lately. I know I will come across it again soon and when I do, I will give a BIG shout out them to give them the credit they earned.

After creating the Febreeze, I realized how MUCH money I spend on cleaning products a month. I am a cleaning fanatic. Its a really hard obsessile our on to have while living in the county with a small child, husband and three pets. I just do the best I can!

I have a glass kitchen table and glass coffee table. So I was REALLY skeptical about how well this would work. I shouldn't have been! It works like a DREAM! Again, I just used an old Windex bottle. I bought all of the supplies at the Dollar Tree for $1 each. Total cost per bottle of "Windex": TWENTY SEVEN CENTS!!!

Bottle

1/8 Cup (1oz) White Ammonia

1/4 Cup (4oz) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol

1 Drop Laundry Detergent

Water - To Fill The Bottle

Do It Yourself Febreze

2012-04-26T22:27:00.001-07:00

I am obsessed with smells. I have admitted this a HUNDRED times over. I was able to experience what life is like without being able to smell when I was pregnant with my son. Instead of having a heightened sense like MOST women...I lost mine completely by my third trimester. It came back after I had him, but I was genuinely concerned for a while.

As I mentioned in my first post, we are fixing up a VERY old farmhouse that was built by my husband's great-great-grandparents. I love the charming appeal of our little country home, but I have zero appreciation for the way an older home smells. Scent is the strongest connection to memory and I want my husband and child to have the memory of our little home smelling clean and possibly like freshly baked goods.

To create this "memory" I have enlisted the help of Febreze on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, by the time you give your home the shower is so desperately deserves, you have almost used an ENTIRE average bottle in one use. We are on a tight budget. I cannot possibly give my Febreze/scent addiction the attention is deserves with results like that. So as soon as I found a "Do It Yourself" Febreze recipe I literally jumped up and made it that very moment. I am happy to say that (in my opinion) this recipe is even BETTER than the store bought version. AND it's MUCH cheaper. The total cost: FOURTEEN CENTS!! OH YEAH! I changed phones, so unfortunately I don't have pictures. I used an old Febreze bottle to put my mixture in. ENJOY!

1/8 Cup of Your Favorite Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water - To Fill the Bottle to the Top

Shake up your spray bottle and get to spraying!!

Credit Where Credit is Due

2012-04-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to apologize for not posting as much and as fast as I would like. I have about a MILLION projects going at once and this week is no exception. I am SO EXCITED about all of the new projects I will be working on. I would also like to take the time to give credit where credit is due.

I have ALWAYS loved making things. When I was younger I would cut up old clothes and make new dresses for my Barbies. My grandmother practically raised me in the kitchen and together she and I made all sorts of crafty things from ornaments to decorative hats. But I don't think I would have EVER gotten as far as I have without all of the wonderful bloggers out there who have shared their knowledge with the world. I have spent a LOT of time on Pinterest and have been inspired a MILLION times over by the projects I have found on there. The truth is that the information is OUT THERE to help you learn how to do ANYTHING that you put your mind to do. You just have to WANT to do it, and more than that, you have to ACTUALLY do it. I am not special or gifted in ANY way. I just have a passion. My only wish is to share my passion with others and make it easy for any person out there to learn as I have from others like me.

Thank you all for your support and I look forward to any feedback or suggestions for future projects!

DIY Pez Children's Decor/Idea

2012-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

This is so easy, I am almost ashamed to post a "DIY" about it.

My nephew's birthday party is coming up and he has a Super Hero theme. I was in the Dollar Store (obviously one of my favorite stores) and I saw these super hero PEZ dispensers. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them at first but I felt a craft urge tingle at the back of my spine and I bought one of each of the ones they had available.

When I got home, I looked around and found some wood plaques (which would work and those are available at any craft store or Wal-Mart), but I decided to go with canvas. You can find canvases at any Wal-mart in the craft section or any craft specialty store. The one I used here was an 8x10 and I purchased it for about $3.

What you will need:
--PEZ (any amount size or style you wish)
--Something to mount your PEZ on (canvas, wood plaque, or even a frame would look really nice)
--Hot Glue Gun
--Acrylic Paint (not necessary if you use a frame)
--Foam Letters (optional)

STEP ONE:
Paint your the area that you wish to mount your PEZ dispensers on the color of your choice. I bought a big bag of foam letters (approximately 330 pieces) for about $2.50 from Michael's Craft Store. It lasts forever and it is a good investment if you are wanting to do a lot of crafts in the future. The problem is that they are in a variety of colors and I wanted them to all be the same. So I painted them! This will take several coats but acrylic paint dries fast.

STEP TWO:
Once your paint has dried place your PEZ dispensers on the area which you are wanting to place them to measure where you would like to put any extra details. I added comic book style speech bubbles so I could put the names of the Super Heroes in.

I removed the PEZ dispensers so I could finish painting the speech bubbles with ease. Because I was using a lighter color on top of a darker on, I had to use several coats.

After the speech bubbles dried, I used some small rubber stamps that I had bought on clearance at Wal-mart to put the Super Hero's in the speech bubbles. Stamps are not a requirement. A sharpie would work just as well. I used a sharpie to trace the bubbles. If you mess up, you can always re-paint but be warned it may take several more coats to cover up the black. Be patient!

I originally painted my letters yellow, but decided I wanted a more "newsprint" look to it. This is the beauty of acrylic paint. You can change your mind as often as you want!

STEP THREE:

Hot glue your PEZ dispensers and letters in place.

DONE!

DIY Decorative Soap Balls/Hearts

2012-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

I DREAM about the bathrooms I see in home decor magazines or pinterest. As I've said before, nothing is so bad that a glass of wine and a bubble bath can't cure. I think most women feel the same. Behind the doors of the bathroom is a mother's haven of solitude. Believe it or not this is something I had to teach my husband after our son was born. Because I was breastfeeding I was getting ZERO sleep and my son was attached to me all day every day as well. I would never trade it for anything in the world, but by the time my husband came home... bubbles and solitude beckoned me like you wouldn't believe. Just as I would sink in to my neck, my sweet husband would come in (while holding our son) and sit down next to me in the tub. I would ask him what he wanted and he would say "Nothing, we just miss Mommy". Now how could I complain about that? So I didn't..at first. LOL. But eventually an understanding had to be made and it has stayed that way ever since!

So when I getting soaps/bubble baths/ANYTHING bath related is an absolute treat for me. That's what I love about these DIY Decorative Soaps. I can use them to not only decorate my home, but as an easy cost effective gift to give for Mother's Day, Birthdays, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, or Valentine's Day. I plan on making the heart shapes in a variety of candy heart colors and giving them to my nieces Leah and Sage (both 6 years old) for a Valentine's Day gift. I will be making my own soap soon and I have a special candy hearts scent I will use. That, along with my own sugar scrubs, bath salts, laundry detergent, Do-It-Yourself Fe-breeze...anything that smells good :) You do not need to make your own soaps to make your own decorative designs.

All you need is:

--Your favorite brand of soap (some are already colored so keep that in mind when purchasing)

--Cheese grater (I bought one from the dollar store to specifically for this project but you don't have to)

--Food coloring (store brands are fine)

--Two bowls

--Water

STEP ONE:

Grate your soap into the first bowl. The large sized grate is fine. I have found you can make three medium sized balls from one bar of Lever 2000. I did this one bar at a time but you can do it any way you want.

STEP TWO:

In the second bowl, combine 1/2 Tbsp of water with about 4 Tbsp of grated soap. This doesn't have to be exact. Mix the soap and water together with your hand to make sure the water covers as much of the soap as possible. Let it sit for a minute. To save time, (after knowing how many I could make with one bar) I just mixed a full bar (12 Tbsp of soap) with the 1 1/2 Tbsp of water it required and let it sit together before separating it to make the balls.

This is the part where you add the food coloring if you are wanting a different color than the soap that you bought. You will need no more than three drops per bar of soap. I would add the coloring to the water before you mix it with the grated soap. My bathroom is green, so the color of the original soap was fine for me. If you are giving a gift, I think having a least two colors adds a nice contrast.

STEP THREE:

Grab a section of soap and squeeze it together REALLY tight to help make it look smoother when you are done. Use your hands to shape the soap into balls (much like you would do with playdough). They might look frothy at first (because of the mixture of soap and water). Let it dry and then take the balls in your hand and reshape them again. In the picture above the front ones were reshaped after they dried and the back ones were before I reshaped them again. You might like the texture. It's totally up to you.

At this point, you are done!!

You can put these in a basket, or bowl to use for display (again I think two colors would contrast better for design purposes).

I go to Ross or Marshall's and look in their glassware section. You can usually find REALLY beautiful glass pieces to put your soap/bathroom pieces (like Q-tips or cotton balls) in for really cheap. The cut/crystal pieces can really add an expensive look to your decor or jazz up your gift and I usually don't spend more than $3-$5 a piece.

If you want to go a step further.....

I bought this ice cube tray at my local Dollar General for $1. Its silicone and flexible (which is important) and I know they have different shapes available for new seasons.

STEP FOUR:

Take the already dried soap balls and squeeze off enough to fill the heart

Press it in tightly and make the exposed part as flat as you can (clean off any excess).

Because the trays are flexible, all the pressing and compacting will mis-shape the form a bit like the picture above. Just use your hands to reshape it back to a heart shape. It's really easy and the re-shaping helps loosen the heart for removal.

THAT'S IT!!

The more hearts you make, the better you get at shaping them. These are perfect for that Valentine's Day gift idea I told you about. Use different colors to create that candy-heart look and even set it out in your own house to celebrate that special day of love!

I think I can ... I think I can!

2012-01-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hi! I know you can read a little bit about who I am in the "About Me" section, but for my first official post I wanted to get a little more in depth. I am a 28 year old Mommy of an amazing little boy who will turn three in March. I grew up in a small town, and until I became a mommy I worked full time since I was 17. I stopped working a week before my son was delivered (prematurely). After he spent 13 days in the NICU, my husband and I decided I would become a stay at home mommy.

I did go back to work for a short time after my son turned one. Being a working mommy is HARD. You miss out on so many things to provide for your family, and you most definitely are not "off duty" when the work day ends! But being a stay at home mommy isn't a cake walk either. If has just as many long hours, and you don't get a paycheck :( Neither way is better than the other. I am a firm believer that there is no "right" way of doing things. You just have to do what feels right for you!

I am now a stay at home Mommy and I am venturing into the world of starting my own business! I craft and create. That is just a fancy way of saying I make things :-P I started out by painting my son's room on a small budget shortly after he was born. Changing over into a one person income AND having a new baby wasn't an easy transition. To top it off, a month before our son was born we moved into an old family farmhouse that needed a LOT of renovations. And that costs....money. The one thing we were short on. We had to do a LOT of bargain shopping and hard work to get to where we are now. The hardest thing was being a new Mommy an wanting that picture perfect nursery and not being able to afford it. So I strapped on my big girl pants....watched a LOT of youtube videos and read tons of tutorials online and got to work! This is what I came up with--

Fan Blades Before

My son's ceiling before with the painted fan blades up

Closer look at the fan blades

Ceiling painted

You can see the paneling before it was painted at the top, this is the accent tree I created using leaf vines.

We needed to install new carpet so I had all of my son's stuff in his crib

The valences and brorder put up

You can see the old carpet here and the accents I painted under his window

My son's name is painted on canvas

Blinds installed and crib set up

After we transformed it into a toddler bed

Tree with some extra "touches"

My son's dresser

Giraffe from the border I used to draw his height chart

Height Chart

After that, some of my friends asked me to help paint their children's rooms and make art for them. These wonderful friends trusted me (someone who NEVER had an art lesson in her LIFE) to paint their entire nursery. Now THAT'S a good friend lol. But I think it turned out nice :) --

My best friend told me I needed to open an Etsy store to see if I could open my own business. So I started painting. I wanted to give up SO many times. Being brand new at this...I didn't know where to begin! I showcased the art I made for her an my son, and within a few weeks I was selling! I got lucky and had a $200 order almost instantly. Not every sale is like that. It's not a "get rich quick" business. It's something I do because I LOVE it. I do it because I love the idea of my son going to school and saying "My Mommy's an artist". LOL

But crafting isn't just about a business. It helps you make your home into something that is uniquely yours. It helps you be able to create things for the people you love and it is TRULY something that is created from the heart. AND it helps you pocket book too when it comes to the money you'd normally spend on decorating and gifts and such.

Let's face it, money does make the world go round, but there is a LOT you can do to stretch your budget. Not just with couponing (although I do believe in coupons!). I make a budget and I use spreadsheets that don't take any time to create to help me stick with my budget. I buy designer brands for everyone in my family and I am not talking from reassignment shops (although I go there too!). But I buy everything for "Walmart" prices. You just have to take the time to do it!

Time...yeah...time is the only thing there will NEVER be enough of. But if you schedule your time wisely, you can make the most of it. I don;t believe in spending hours on end grocery shopping or cleaning your house. But I am going to be COMPLETELY honest and say that I HAVE done it. Especially the cleaning part. I have/can/will probably continue to clean my house for hours. I'm a mom, remember?

Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same things OVER and OVER again expecting things to change. Then I guess that means all of us mothers are COMPLETELY insane. But in all truth, I think we all already know that lol. But we can control our insanity by having a routine. Routines help us take control of our lives, our kids, and our husband's hungry bellies. I have a cleaning routine that helps satisfy my inner OCD but minimizes the time I spend cleaning. I'll post more abut that later.

I don't have everything figured out. Far from it...every day is a new learning experience...a new lesson. But I give you FULL permission to learn from my ~~mistakes~~ life lessons. I'm hoping I can help someone ANYONE out there in some small way. But no matter WHAT...always remember....nothing is so bad that it can't be cured with a glass of wine and a bubble bath ;-P