Homemade Fabric Softner

Prep Time: 5 mins.

Total Time: 5mins

Yield: 1 Gallon

"If you check the dangers of fabric softener you will appreciate this simple recipe that is much safer." 

Ingredients

6 - cups water

3 - cups white vinegar

2 - cups hair conditioner

Directions

1. Mix water, vinegar, and hair conditioner in a 1 gallon container; stir. Do not shake it; it will cause foaming.

2. Use the same amount you normally use in a rinse cycle or spritz it on a wash cloth and throw it in the dryer.

"You can put the fabric softener in a little Mason Jar and tie a cute little bow around the top and give away for a gift." 

Tooth Fairy...

I hope all of you are enjoying your Saturday. I came upon this cute lil tooth fairy bag with a receipt from the tooth fairy...how cute is this?

www.scrappinwithmybug.com 

Please Follow me on Pinterest @ http://pinterest.com/trickpoini/

Organizing Kids School Papers...

UPDATE: I just found this on pinterest.com am loving this too! 

I thought this was a really a neat way to organize all those papers that your kiddos bring home from school and are so proud of...this is accessible and  a great way to organize and so easy to go back and find what you're looking for and you don't have to feel guilty for getting overwhelmed with paper messes and they end up in the trash because it becomes so overwhelming. So their papers could be on display for a few days then into the folders. ;)  

Here is more pictures of how cute she decorated each child's file case.
http://beingbrook.com/organizing-kids-school-papers/

My Dream Craft Room...

I just love this room it's so light and airy...really inviting! I got this off of another gals site that I really frequent a lot too... http://beingbrook.com/sewing-craft-room-tour-furniture/ I believe that most if not all are ana-white.com plans for the funiture, but not sure if all are.

Laundry Basket Dresser...

I have an absolute passion for organizing (just makes me feel good)! This is a wonderful idea...laundry basket dressers for your laundry room (the possibilities are limitless). I picked up this idea from ana-white.com she is amazing. She draws plans for all her projects and shares them for free. So I'm going to post the link here so if you're interested in this project you can look at the plans for this build. Happy Building! 

http://ana-white.com/2010/11/laundry-basket-dresser

Did You Know that Simple Sidewalk Chalk has a Few other Uses besides Sidewalk Chalk...?

Think chalk is just for teachers and kids, think again! I came upon this today....and here are some of it's "other" uses:

*Lifts Stains

Grease stains and ring around the collar can benefit from some chalk treatment! Rub a piece of white chalk into the stain and let it soak up the grease for a few minutes. Then, dust off any excess chalk and launder as usual. The calk dust will get into the fibers and absorb the oils, making the stain easier to wash out.

*Absorbs Moisture

Moisture and humidity can cause silver to tarnish. To slow the process, wrap a small bundle of chalk in cheesecloth, tie it off and store it with your silver it's absorb excess moisture and keeps silver from tarnishing. This same method will work in your toolbox to keep your tools from rusting.

*Stabilizes Screwdrivers

Rub some chalk on the business end of a screwdriver, and it's less likely to slip as you turn the screw.

*Combats Mustiness

Hang a bundle of chalk in your closets and cabinets to keep them from getting damp and musty. The chalk will absorb excess moisture from the air- humidity that otherwise leads to mustiness.

*Perfects Patterns

The next time you need to trace a pattern for a craft project, use the item tailors have used for ages: chalk. The markings will be clear and easy to see, and when you want to erase them, simply dust away the lines.

*Repels Ants

To keep ants out of your house, draw chalk lines around your doorways and windowsills. Ants won't cross a chalk line. It's not entirely clear, but some say the ants don't like the particles sticking to their feet, while others say they're averse to the calcium carbonate in the chalk. Whatever the reason, this nontoxic solution will keep ants outside where they belong.


What other uses have any of you found with chalk besides the obvious?

http://www.diylife.com/2010/06/10/unusual-uses-for-chalk/

Congratulations are in order...

I know this has nothing to do with DIY'ing but I wanted to congratulate our  lil Gabrielle Douglas on her second gold medal what a cutie (and that smile)! So proud of ALL the athletes from the United States...go USA!!

How Simple and Elegant...

I just think this is so cute for our lil girly girls out there!

Are You Still Throwing Away Your Money on Expensive Commercial Cleaners?

Are you tired of throwing away your hard earned cash at the register? And you don't know where else you can save even though you want to save more money. Have you checked your cleaning cabinet? If you're still using commercial cleaners, you're running up your grocery bill unnecessarily buying expensive commercial cleaning supplies. You're a smart, savvy buyer, so why are you buying commercial cleaning products... just because that's what you think will clean better? You already know that homemade cleaners can help preserve our earth, but perhaps you've never believed a homemade product could clean as well as a commercial solution. They can, and do. 

Science shows that the ingredients already in your pantry are every bit as effective as the ones in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, as long as you only make enough to use at the time of cleaning. Leaving the leftovers to sit until it's time to use them again will reduce their effectiveness because the blended products break down over time. Buying commercial products is more expensive, but it's also potentially more dangerous. If you've ever been around a pregnant woman, you may know that the doctor prescribes her to stay away from certain cleaning products because the fumes are dangerous. Then why expose yourself and your family to chemicals that might be dangerous to your lungs?

By spending your hard earned money on costly chemicals, you're putting your budget and health in danger. Has fear of wasting time or effort stopped you from mixing your own cleaning cocktails? You don't have to be afraid of wasting time or getting it wrong anymore. Arming yourself with recipes that work and how-to's that make it easy, then organizing your cleaning cabinet to support your new strategy, will help you slash your margin of error to nothing.

You can make saving money at the grocery store as simple as stirring a bucket. Many people overspend on cleaners because they buy too many. You don't need a special cleaner for everything. The cleaner you use to scrub the toilet can be the same cleaner you use for the sink and bathtub. The cleaner you use on the floors can be used on counter tops and cabinets as well. Most households require only one all-purpose cleaner, a window cleaner, and a furniture polish. These are all fast, easy and inexpensive to make. 

You probably already have most of these products in your pantry. These following five ingredients will help you whip up effective solutions in no time:

*Baking Soda

*Lemon juice

*Vinegar

*Liquid dish soap

*Vegetable or olive oil

Use cleaning bottles you already have on hand, to eliminate the need to buy anything extra. Just be sure to empty and rinse them until no more bubbles appear, then give them time to dry before adding your homemade money saving solutions.

Also, be sure you label each bottle and keep it for its own purpose. No mixing.

Place these recipes on index cards, and then post them on the inside of your cleaning cabinet door so you can refer to them later.

Glass Cleaner

*1 gallon of water

*1/2 tsp liquid dish soap

*1/2 c vinegar

Mix them together in a spray bottle, and then shake until soap dissolves. Using a lint-free towel, clean your windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces to a spot-free shine.

All Purpose Cleaner

*1/2 tsp baking soda

*2 c hot water

*A few drops of liquid dish soap

Mix in a spray bottle and shake well to dissolve. Use with a sponge or towel to clean almost any surface in your home.

Furniture Polish

*1/2 c lemon juice

*1 c vegetable oil

Mix in a bottle and apply to surface with a lint-free towel to polish furniture and hardwood floors.

Note: Do not put more oil than necessary as it will ruin the shine on items.

A couple of important notes:

If you experiment with any homemade cleaning recipes, be smart and do your homework. These solutions are made up of chemicals, and you should always take precautions when mixing chemicals.

Precautions to take:

*Do NOT mix chlorine bleach and vinegar.

*Do NOT mix acids (like vinegar and lemon juice) with alkalis (like baking soda and ammonia).

*Mix in an area of proper ventilation.

*Make only what you can use within a few days.

*Do NOT keep mixed solutions within reach of children.

There you have it, three recipes for cleaning cocktails that will help you stay under-budget without sacrificing a single sparkle of clean.

~Happy Cleaning~

The Start At What I Hope To Be Interesting and Informational...

Hello my name is Lynnette and I've been thinking for a long time about starting a blog. I wasn't sure what king of blog, however? But I think I'd like to share a lot of different obsessions things that I've learned from being a DIY'er, craft'er, fanatic organizer, cooking and one of my least favorite things...gardening (but do love the results after the effort)! Like all of us in these hard economic crisis, I like to explore where I can downsize and cut spending. I really love to find new ways to cut cost on house hold products or anywhere I can spare our hard earned money (hubby really likes that idea)! 

So I guess I'll start out by telling you that when I find things of interest or what I think you might find interesting I'll post my finds!

~Take care and have a Blessed evening!~