Yesterday I told you about an awesome contest on Today's Gizmos. Well guess what. I won! I was one of 3 lucky winners, that is! Congrats to the other two winners also, Kat and Pixelhead!
I'm so happy right now! I've only won 1 other contest before, and that was when Christine gave away an awesome Amazon gift card. I think I'm as happy was my sister was when someone told her she could buy Phentermine without a prescription. Yeah she's put on some extra weight here lately, but I seriously don't think she needs that stuff. She's got some pretty serious health problems. Yep, I'm talking about my sister with Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease, and I just don't think she needs to be taking diet pills for her problems. Her weight gain is a medical problem because of her thyroid. It's not like she just gained all this extra weight all of a sudden for no reason.
Anywho, I'm rambling on when I really need to be getting myself to bed. Goodnight!
Couch Renewed!
My slipcover for my couch arrived just a few minutes ago, so of course I had to rip it out of the box and put it on! I'm not finished tweaking it yet, but so far it looks pretty freakin' good! It's a totally different couch!
Seriously, would you even know my couch now has that old nasty flower print hidden underneath this new wonderful slipcover? Yes I need to do some adjusting to the slipcover still, especially around the cushions, but I was just too excited. I needed to take a picture now! As you can see Bubba's running around in the bottom of the photo trying to help me. He's carrying off the nasty old accent pillows that we won't be reusing. He's fallen in love with those pillows and carries them to where ever he wants to nap in the room.
The slipcover I ordered is the Stretch Stripe 2-piece T-cushion Sofa Slipcover from Overstock.com. It's the same one I had picked out on Walmart, only I got it $40 cheaper! ($30 cheaper from Overstock plus a coupon that saved me $10) I ordered it around 6pm June 22, and it arrive today, June 25. That's fast enough for me. If I'd ordered from Walmart I'd be out $40, and I would probably still be wondering where the thing is!
The old couch:
Same old couch, new slipcover:
Seriously, would you even know my couch now has that old nasty flower print hidden underneath this new wonderful slipcover? Yes I need to do some adjusting to the slipcover still, especially around the cushions, but I was just too excited. I needed to take a picture now! As you can see Bubba's running around in the bottom of the photo trying to help me. He's carrying off the nasty old accent pillows that we won't be reusing. He's fallen in love with those pillows and carries them to where ever he wants to nap in the room.
The slipcover I ordered is the Stretch Stripe 2-piece T-cushion Sofa Slipcover from Overstock.com. It's the same one I had picked out on Walmart, only I got it $40 cheaper! ($30 cheaper from Overstock plus a coupon that saved me $10) I ordered it around 6pm June 22, and it arrive today, June 25. That's fast enough for me. If I'd ordered from Walmart I'd be out $40, and I would probably still be wondering where the thing is!
Todaysgizmos.com Giveaway
Todaysgizmos.com is having a giveaway I've been meaning to tell you about, but as usual I've been so busy I haven't got around to it yet. Unfortunately the contest ends tomorrow, but the good news is you still have time to get your entries in tonight.
What is Todaysgizmos.com giving away? Awesome digital photo keychains! I've been wanting one of these for awhile. Your pictures are displayed on a 1.5 inch LED display, so you can share them with the world without carrying around a stack of photos in your wallet or purse.
The contest is sponsored by wholesalekeychain.com, and they've got a ton of awesome keychains. I absolutely love the Clemson keychains. I'm a huge tigers fan, and I have a hard time finding decent Clemson keychains that are of a nice quality and a decent price.
It's super easy for you to enter the contest, so head on over to todaysgizmos.com to enter.
What is Todaysgizmos.com giving away? Awesome digital photo keychains! I've been wanting one of these for awhile. Your pictures are displayed on a 1.5 inch LED display, so you can share them with the world without carrying around a stack of photos in your wallet or purse.
The contest is sponsored by wholesalekeychain.com, and they've got a ton of awesome keychains. I absolutely love the Clemson keychains. I'm a huge tigers fan, and I have a hard time finding decent Clemson keychains that are of a nice quality and a decent price.
It's super easy for you to enter the contest, so head on over to todaysgizmos.com to enter.
Making The Couch New Again
If someone offered to give you a couch that is in great condition, but extremely ugly, would you take it?
We've needed an extra couch for awhile now. The futon I use in my office is falling apart. Hubby's Grandma offered to give us her couch since she can't live on her own any longer. It's not just a couch, it's got the pull out couch bed, which is something I've really been needing. Hubby took over the guest room to rebuild the bike inside, so we really have no where for guests to sleep.
Hubby didn't want the couch because it's old, stained, and a seriously ugly flower print. I'm ok with flowers, but I can't do flowers that are bigger than my head! The cushions are stained with deep set in stains that aren't coming out no matter how many times I steam clean the thing.
Other than that, the couch is in perfect shape. It's extremely comfortable, and it's just what I needed for my office. Now when I have customers waiting they don't have to sit on a futon that's falling apart.
Hubby didn't want the couch because he said it would be too much work to make it look nice. I guess he's never heard of slipcovers. Because it is a couch bed I want one of the 2 piece slipcovers. I don't want to have to remove the entire cover just to pull out the bed.
Walmart carries a Stretch Pinstripe 2 Piece Slipcover that I really like, but I'm afraid to buy it. It's not sold in stores, so I would have to order it online, and I've heard some serious horror stories about ordering from Walmart.com. I think my only options are to give Walmart's ship to store a try or to find another slipcover like that one somewhere else. I've found a ton I like online, but I've got a budget. I can't spend anymore than $130 on this, and the only one I've found in my price range is the one from Walmart.
Yeah I've found others I like, but I HAVE to have a 2 piece. This is the only 2 piece one I've found that I like that's cheap enough for me. Anyone have any suggestions on where I might find another one that I like in my price range?
*EDIT*
After watching the installation video for the slipcover I see that having a two piece really doesn't help me if I'm looking for something I don't have to remove to use the couch bed. It still covers the couch bed. Do I ruin a $130 slipcover by cutting a hole in it around the couch bed? Or do I just deal with taking it off every time I need to use the bed? Hmmm...
We've needed an extra couch for awhile now. The futon I use in my office is falling apart. Hubby's Grandma offered to give us her couch since she can't live on her own any longer. It's not just a couch, it's got the pull out couch bed, which is something I've really been needing. Hubby took over the guest room to rebuild the bike inside, so we really have no where for guests to sleep.
Hubby didn't want the couch because it's old, stained, and a seriously ugly flower print. I'm ok with flowers, but I can't do flowers that are bigger than my head! The cushions are stained with deep set in stains that aren't coming out no matter how many times I steam clean the thing.
Other than that, the couch is in perfect shape. It's extremely comfortable, and it's just what I needed for my office. Now when I have customers waiting they don't have to sit on a futon that's falling apart.
Hubby didn't want the couch because he said it would be too much work to make it look nice. I guess he's never heard of slipcovers. Because it is a couch bed I want one of the 2 piece slipcovers. I don't want to have to remove the entire cover just to pull out the bed.
Walmart carries a Stretch Pinstripe 2 Piece Slipcover that I really like, but I'm afraid to buy it. It's not sold in stores, so I would have to order it online, and I've heard some serious horror stories about ordering from Walmart.com. I think my only options are to give Walmart's ship to store a try or to find another slipcover like that one somewhere else. I've found a ton I like online, but I've got a budget. I can't spend anymore than $130 on this, and the only one I've found in my price range is the one from Walmart.Yeah I've found others I like, but I HAVE to have a 2 piece. This is the only 2 piece one I've found that I like that's cheap enough for me. Anyone have any suggestions on where I might find another one that I like in my price range?
*EDIT*
After watching the installation video for the slipcover I see that having a two piece really doesn't help me if I'm looking for something I don't have to remove to use the couch bed. It still covers the couch bed. Do I ruin a $130 slipcover by cutting a hole in it around the couch bed? Or do I just deal with taking it off every time I need to use the bed? Hmmm...
Get Firefox 3 Today: Set A Guinness World Record
Today is Firefox's Download Day 2008. What's so special about that? Firefox is trying to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloads in 24 hours. If you want to take part in setting this record all you have to do is download Firefox 3 today! There have already been over 1,700,000 pledges to download Firefox today, and your download could be the one that pushes it for the record!
Yes, I'm Still Here
I promise I didn't die. I'm still around! Whoever said darn better take that back!
I bought a few things last week that I really want to share with you, but there's one problem. My orders haven't arrived yet!
It's ok though. When I placed my orders with E.L.F. I knew not to expect them super quick. The shipping and processing times are really lame, but the products are well worth it. I mean come on everything is $1 each! Anywho, I promise to take some pics and share the products I purchased as soon as the order does finally arrive.
Until then I've got laundry to get back to. I've got clothes on the line, and another load in the washer ready to hang out. BTW, the home made laundry detergent works GREAT! I've never seen my clothes so clean!
I bought a few things last week that I really want to share with you, but there's one problem. My orders haven't arrived yet!
It's ok though. When I placed my orders with E.L.F. I knew not to expect them super quick. The shipping and processing times are really lame, but the products are well worth it. I mean come on everything is $1 each! Anywho, I promise to take some pics and share the products I purchased as soon as the order does finally arrive.
Until then I've got laundry to get back to. I've got clothes on the line, and another load in the washer ready to hang out. BTW, the home made laundry detergent works GREAT! I've never seen my clothes so clean!
Putting The Pool To Good Use
Who needs weight loss pills when you've got a swimming pool? Tonight I went to my in laws and spent some time relaxing in the pool with my little sister in law. Now they don't have a full size pool. 
They bought an Intex Sand & Sun Pool. It's 13'x42", so it's not a full size pool. It's just enough for the kids to play in or for us to relax in.
I found another good use for it tonight though. After the sun went down sis-in-law and I jumped in. They filled it this morning, but the water was already super warm from it being so hot today. Hubby relaxed with us for a bit, but once he got tired of it he left plenty of extra room for us to hang out. Sis-in-law was a little hyper, so she kept wanting to splash me.
To get her to stop I suggested we "exercise". We spent a good 45 minutes working our legs by trying to run under water. I already know exercising in a pool can give you a great workout. It's also a great form of therapy. Man did we work our legs! Neither of us realized how tired we were until we stepped out of the pool. My legs were all wobbly!
I tried to convince Hubby to buy one of those little pools last year so we'd have something to relax in. Now I think I'm definitely going to pick one up. The pools hold up a lot better than I would think. Last year we had to fix it a couple times because sis-in-law and her friends would jump around a little too much causing the sides to lean in, but Hubby and his dad could set the thing straight again in about 5 minutes without having to drain it. It comes with a mini version of a pool pump, and it's fairly low maintenance. It's a great idea if you don't have the space or the cash for a full size pool...even an above ground model.
For people like us without kids who just want it for the relaxation it's a great thing. If we want to actually go swimming we'll drive 5 minutes to the lake.
They bought an Intex Sand & Sun Pool. It's 13'x42", so it's not a full size pool. It's just enough for the kids to play in or for us to relax in.
I found another good use for it tonight though. After the sun went down sis-in-law and I jumped in. They filled it this morning, but the water was already super warm from it being so hot today. Hubby relaxed with us for a bit, but once he got tired of it he left plenty of extra room for us to hang out. Sis-in-law was a little hyper, so she kept wanting to splash me.
To get her to stop I suggested we "exercise". We spent a good 45 minutes working our legs by trying to run under water. I already know exercising in a pool can give you a great workout. It's also a great form of therapy. Man did we work our legs! Neither of us realized how tired we were until we stepped out of the pool. My legs were all wobbly!
I tried to convince Hubby to buy one of those little pools last year so we'd have something to relax in. Now I think I'm definitely going to pick one up. The pools hold up a lot better than I would think. Last year we had to fix it a couple times because sis-in-law and her friends would jump around a little too much causing the sides to lean in, but Hubby and his dad could set the thing straight again in about 5 minutes without having to drain it. It comes with a mini version of a pool pump, and it's fairly low maintenance. It's a great idea if you don't have the space or the cash for a full size pool...even an above ground model.
For people like us without kids who just want it for the relaxation it's a great thing. If we want to actually go swimming we'll drive 5 minutes to the lake.
Getting A New Bathroom
I've been making a list of stuff I want to do to our house. Since we rent (even though it's a family member's home) we have to get approval before we do something. I've been asking for 5 years now to let us add a half bathroom somewhere.
We've only got 1 bathroom in this house, and sometimes it can be a hassle. It would be very easy to add a small bathroom. The utility room shares a wall with the bathroom where the toilet and sink are located. All the plumbing is already in that shared wall. The utility room is fairly large, and we have room to pretty much cut it in half down the middle. There would still be a small room left between the back porch and kitchen, and we'd have an extra half bath.
We would probably even have room to add a small shower, but that's something we're not looking to do right now. We just need an extra toilet if you know what I mean. We've finally been given permission to add the half bath, so now it's time to design it. Hubby, master carpenter that he is, will be taking care of the build. Really he only has to build a new wall and add a door. There's already linoleum flooring, and there will even be a window in the bathroom. Other than that it's a matter of installing a new light fixture, plumbing, sink, and toilet.
I have the job of picking out what I want in the room. I've been looking at a few Kohler faucets that are gorgeous. I'll go for a cheap plain white toilet if I can have the sink setup I want. Now I just have to decide if I want a cabinet and sink, pedestal sink, or wall hung sink. I'm really leaning towards wall hung. I would love to have one of the vessel type sinks from Kohler, but most of them are a little too far out of my price range right now.
We've only got 1 bathroom in this house, and sometimes it can be a hassle. It would be very easy to add a small bathroom. The utility room shares a wall with the bathroom where the toilet and sink are located. All the plumbing is already in that shared wall. The utility room is fairly large, and we have room to pretty much cut it in half down the middle. There would still be a small room left between the back porch and kitchen, and we'd have an extra half bath.
We would probably even have room to add a small shower, but that's something we're not looking to do right now. We just need an extra toilet if you know what I mean. We've finally been given permission to add the half bath, so now it's time to design it. Hubby, master carpenter that he is, will be taking care of the build. Really he only has to build a new wall and add a door. There's already linoleum flooring, and there will even be a window in the bathroom. Other than that it's a matter of installing a new light fixture, plumbing, sink, and toilet.
I have the job of picking out what I want in the room. I've been looking at a few Kohler faucets that are gorgeous. I'll go for a cheap plain white toilet if I can have the sink setup I want. Now I just have to decide if I want a cabinet and sink, pedestal sink, or wall hung sink. I'm really leaning towards wall hung. I would love to have one of the vessel type sinks from Kohler, but most of them are a little too far out of my price range right now.
My Bath & Body Works Order
My Bath & Body Works order came in yesterday! I didn't get to open the box until tonight though. I had to take a shower right after I opened the box. I just couldn't resist the smell of the Coco Cabana shower gel. This is one of the classics I've never tried, and boy am I glad I bought it! I love it!
Bath & Body Works was having a sale so I ordered:
1 Coco Cabana Shower Gel ($4)
1 Black Raspberry Vanilla Creamy Body Wash ($3)
1 Sea Island Cotton Creamy Body Wash ($3)
I also ordered 2 Wallflowers starter kits. The one I had just quit working on me...I'm assuming it was just too gunked up.
So that part of the order:
1 Wallflowers Starter Kit Fresh Linen ($5)
1 Wallflowers Starter Kit Juicy Nectarine ($5)
1 Wallflowers Refills Cotton Blossom ($5)
1 Wallflowers Refills Mango Mandarin ($5)
My entire order was $41.80 after tax and shipping charges. Not bad I'd say. I could have saved a little more by shopping at the local store instead, but it's a very small store. They're always out of my favorite scents, especially during a huge sale. Overall I ended up saving $29.95 on things I would normally buy anyway. I didn't go out of my way to buy extra stuff I don't need. I just bought things that I would stock up on during a normal once every 3 months trip to Bath & Body Works.
If you've never tried the Wallflowers you should. I absolutely love them, and I'm not a fan of any of the normal plugin type air fresheners. I think most of them are extremely concentrated and way too strong. A lot of them give me headaches, but not the Wallflowers. They smell really nice, and they work. The smell isn't a heavy concentrated spot in front of the air freshener.
I placed the Juicy Nectarine behind the toilet. Not only did the smell drift throughout the bathroom, both bedrooms, and the living room; there isn't an overpowering concentrated area of smell around the toilet. It smells just like the rest of the house.
About 15 minutes ago I placed a Mango Mandarin in the dining room. I try to place complementing scents in the house at the same time, so you won't smell orange scents on one side of the house and something totally different on the other. I'll use the linen scents together when the time comes to pull out my refills. The packaging says one Wallflower will fill an entire room and last 6-8 weeks. I can place two in our 1500 sq ft home, and both will take care of the whole house for about 8 weeks.
Bath & Body Works was having a sale so I ordered:
1 Coco Cabana Shower Gel ($4)
1 Black Raspberry Vanilla Creamy Body Wash ($3)
1 Sea Island Cotton Creamy Body Wash ($3)
I also ordered 2 Wallflowers starter kits. The one I had just quit working on me...I'm assuming it was just too gunked up.
So that part of the order:
1 Wallflowers Starter Kit Fresh Linen ($5)
1 Wallflowers Starter Kit Juicy Nectarine ($5)
1 Wallflowers Refills Cotton Blossom ($5)
1 Wallflowers Refills Mango Mandarin ($5)
My entire order was $41.80 after tax and shipping charges. Not bad I'd say. I could have saved a little more by shopping at the local store instead, but it's a very small store. They're always out of my favorite scents, especially during a huge sale. Overall I ended up saving $29.95 on things I would normally buy anyway. I didn't go out of my way to buy extra stuff I don't need. I just bought things that I would stock up on during a normal once every 3 months trip to Bath & Body Works.
If you've never tried the Wallflowers you should. I absolutely love them, and I'm not a fan of any of the normal plugin type air fresheners. I think most of them are extremely concentrated and way too strong. A lot of them give me headaches, but not the Wallflowers. They smell really nice, and they work. The smell isn't a heavy concentrated spot in front of the air freshener.
I placed the Juicy Nectarine behind the toilet. Not only did the smell drift throughout the bathroom, both bedrooms, and the living room; there isn't an overpowering concentrated area of smell around the toilet. It smells just like the rest of the house.
About 15 minutes ago I placed a Mango Mandarin in the dining room. I try to place complementing scents in the house at the same time, so you won't smell orange scents on one side of the house and something totally different on the other. I'll use the linen scents together when the time comes to pull out my refills. The packaging says one Wallflower will fill an entire room and last 6-8 weeks. I can place two in our 1500 sq ft home, and both will take care of the whole house for about 8 weeks.
Digital Makeover
What's the best acne treatment out there? Right now I can tell you it's Paint Shop Pro! Haha! This just shows you how bored I get when I can't sleep.
I finally got Paint Shop Pro X2, so I'm going through a bunch of my old photos "cleaning" them up. I'm removing pimples that stand out in the photos, changing my eye color (my natural blue still looks the best), and giving myself makeovers.
It's amazing how good I look when I'm completely digitally altered! If only I could look this good everyday! I do love the makeover feature in PSP X2 though. I know some of these features were in X, but I'm upgrading from PSP 9. I don't know what took me so long to upgrade....oh yeah, the cost!
I finally got Paint Shop Pro X2, so I'm going through a bunch of my old photos "cleaning" them up. I'm removing pimples that stand out in the photos, changing my eye color (my natural blue still looks the best), and giving myself makeovers.
It's amazing how good I look when I'm completely digitally altered! If only I could look this good everyday! I do love the makeover feature in PSP X2 though. I know some of these features were in X, but I'm upgrading from PSP 9. I don't know what took me so long to upgrade....oh yeah, the cost!
Father's Day Is Around The Corner
I shouldn't have glanced down at the calendar. I totally forgot Father's day is coming up! I guess I'll start looking for gifts tomorrow while I'm out.
We don't technically have to buy anything for Hubby's dad because I bought him a cell phone last month. He was stuck with a pre-paid phone that was costing him way too much cash, so I added an extra line to my Verizon plan for him. When I picked up the phone for his line I told him not to worry about it. We'd just consider it his father's day gift. For once we didn't buy him golf equipment! I still want to get him something small though so he has something to open on Father's Day from us.
As for my dad, I have no idea what to get. I normally buy him something hunting or fishing related, but I hate getting him the same thing year after year.
We don't technically have to buy anything for Hubby's dad because I bought him a cell phone last month. He was stuck with a pre-paid phone that was costing him way too much cash, so I added an extra line to my Verizon plan for him. When I picked up the phone for his line I told him not to worry about it. We'd just consider it his father's day gift. For once we didn't buy him golf equipment! I still want to get him something small though so he has something to open on Father's Day from us.
As for my dad, I have no idea what to get. I normally buy him something hunting or fishing related, but I hate getting him the same thing year after year.
Relaxation
I've tried go make this a very relaxing night for myself. I was kind of bummed my huge Bath & Body Works order didn't show today, but it will be here tomorrow! I decided to take a nice long bubble bath tonight with one of my favorite products because I know once my B&BW stuff arrives I'll be using that for awhile. I ordered a couple body washes that I've never tried, so cross your fingers. Let's hope they smell good!
After my long relaxing bubble bath I was going to curl up with a good book, but I realized I don't have a single book on my shelf I haven't read at least 3 or 4 times. I guess it's time for me to cash in some of those credits I have to order some new books from PaperBackSwap.com.
I really need to go to bed, but as usual I slept a good bit during the day today leaving myself wide awake in the middle of the night. I didn't actually make it to bed until around 4pm, so at least I'll still have plenty of energy this morning to get some of my shopping done.
I didn't make it out to pick up my supplies to make my laundry detergent, so I'm going to do that this morning. I also need to swing by the fabric store. They've got a bin of various fabric squares for .10 each that make perfect patch panels for jeans. My cousin gave me a pair of jeans that are super great except for the fact there's a hole in the crotch. It's a pretty small hole, so I figure I'll just patch it up and wear them anyway. The jeans are super comfortable, so if nothing else I'll just wear them around the house with the hole!
After my long relaxing bubble bath I was going to curl up with a good book, but I realized I don't have a single book on my shelf I haven't read at least 3 or 4 times. I guess it's time for me to cash in some of those credits I have to order some new books from PaperBackSwap.com.
I really need to go to bed, but as usual I slept a good bit during the day today leaving myself wide awake in the middle of the night. I didn't actually make it to bed until around 4pm, so at least I'll still have plenty of energy this morning to get some of my shopping done.
I didn't make it out to pick up my supplies to make my laundry detergent, so I'm going to do that this morning. I also need to swing by the fabric store. They've got a bin of various fabric squares for .10 each that make perfect patch panels for jeans. My cousin gave me a pair of jeans that are super great except for the fact there's a hole in the crotch. It's a pretty small hole, so I figure I'll just patch it up and wear them anyway. The jeans are super comfortable, so if nothing else I'll just wear them around the house with the hole!
Make Your Own Laundry Rinse And More
While searching through recipes I just found a Laundry Rinse recipe that I think I'm going to go ahead and try as well. This will give me the option to add my essential oils to give my laundry that wonderful smell without all the nasty chemicals while still allowing me to use a powder detergent.
Here's the recipe from Modern Cottage.
I already use vinegar in 1 load every week to clean out my washer, so adding a few drops of essential oil to the bottle is easy.
I also recommend if anyone's going to try this you might want to go ahead and try another great vinegar use! I use vinegar to keep the bugs away! Mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Then just take a walk around the outside of your house spraying everything at the base of your house. Make sure to spray around doors and windows really well! It's mostly a mosquito repellent, but we've also noticed it keeps the spiders away, too!
A good homemade mosquito repellent for your skin is 1 part vinegar to 1 part mineral oil or baby oil. Spray it on before you head outside!
Most women know vinegar will not only remove chemicals left behind after shampooing, but it also helps condition your hair. My mom always used a vinegar rinse on my very long hair as a child to condition and detangle. That's something I still do as an adult, but now I also use vinegar on the dog, too. It conditions his coat while also helping to work as a natural insect repellent. It's also better than harsh dog conditioners that irritate his sensitive skin.
Ok I totally didn't mean to turn this into a 1000 uses of vinegar post. I'll save the rest for another day!
Here's the recipe from Modern Cottage.
Laundry Rinse (instead of fabric softener which is so bad for you and the environment, you don’t even want to know)
1. 1 gal white vinegar
2. 25-30 drops essential oil - optional (This was another internet purchase. We’re currently using “gardenia.” Mmmmm. Straight vinegar works just fine though.)
Use 1/4 c in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes won’t smell like vinegar. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on all your clothes and reduces static.
I already use vinegar in 1 load every week to clean out my washer, so adding a few drops of essential oil to the bottle is easy.
I also recommend if anyone's going to try this you might want to go ahead and try another great vinegar use! I use vinegar to keep the bugs away! Mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Then just take a walk around the outside of your house spraying everything at the base of your house. Make sure to spray around doors and windows really well! It's mostly a mosquito repellent, but we've also noticed it keeps the spiders away, too!
A good homemade mosquito repellent for your skin is 1 part vinegar to 1 part mineral oil or baby oil. Spray it on before you head outside!
Most women know vinegar will not only remove chemicals left behind after shampooing, but it also helps condition your hair. My mom always used a vinegar rinse on my very long hair as a child to condition and detangle. That's something I still do as an adult, but now I also use vinegar on the dog, too. It conditions his coat while also helping to work as a natural insect repellent. It's also better than harsh dog conditioners that irritate his sensitive skin.
Ok I totally didn't mean to turn this into a 1000 uses of vinegar post. I'll save the rest for another day!
Making My Own Laundry Detergent
I've been using what some would consider "natural" laundry detergents off and on for awhile, but it's gotten rather expensive. I've seen a few recipes before to make my own laundry detergent at home, but most of the time I tell myself I'd rather pay a little extra to have someone else do it.
I've finally come to the realization that making my own laundry detergent is going to be very simple. These days it's super easy to find 1000's of different recipes online to make your own liquid or powder laundry detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and dishwasher detergent. In most cases not only does it save cash in your pocket, but it also helps to save the environment a little.
Have you ever researched what type of harmful chemicals are in fabric softeners and laundry detergents? The list is scary!
After looking over a ton of different recipes I found one I'm going to try. I decided I want a powder detergent just because it's easier for me to store right now. I'm going to make it in small portions at first so I can adjust for my skin. I have very sensitive skin, so I have to choose bar soaps that don't irritate me. A lot of recipes I've seen recommend using Ivory soap, but I'm highly allergic to it. Another choice is Fels Naptha Soap, but I've never used it. With my skin I'm afraid to try it without hearing from others with sensitive skin who have used it before.
This is the recipe I'm going to try:
Optionally you can add essential oils (10-15 drops per 2 gallons) to the liquid versions. I don't know about powdered versions, so if anyone has any ideas for that please share them with me.
After using this for a few weeks, if I like it I'm going to move on to recipes for fabric softeners and dish detergents. I'm not sure if I'll ever try the dryer sheet recipes since I hardly use my dryer (only on rainy days when I can't put my clothes on the line).
I've finally come to the realization that making my own laundry detergent is going to be very simple. These days it's super easy to find 1000's of different recipes online to make your own liquid or powder laundry detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and dishwasher detergent. In most cases not only does it save cash in your pocket, but it also helps to save the environment a little.
Have you ever researched what type of harmful chemicals are in fabric softeners and laundry detergents? The list is scary!
After looking over a ton of different recipes I found one I'm going to try. I decided I want a powder detergent just because it's easier for me to store right now. I'm going to make it in small portions at first so I can adjust for my skin. I have very sensitive skin, so I have to choose bar soaps that don't irritate me. A lot of recipes I've seen recommend using Ivory soap, but I'm highly allergic to it. Another choice is Fels Naptha Soap, but I've never used it. With my skin I'm afraid to try it without hearing from others with sensitive skin who have used it before.
This is the recipe I'm going to try:
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
- Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
- Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
Optionally you can add essential oils (10-15 drops per 2 gallons) to the liquid versions. I don't know about powdered versions, so if anyone has any ideas for that please share them with me.
After using this for a few weeks, if I like it I'm going to move on to recipes for fabric softeners and dish detergents. I'm not sure if I'll ever try the dryer sheet recipes since I hardly use my dryer (only on rainy days when I can't put my clothes on the line).
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