Saturday, March 30, 2013

DIY Laundry Detergent - Guest Post

Today I have a guest post from Amanda at Because She Said Yes.   She's going to share with us how to make dry laundry soap. 



Amanda here from over at Because She Said Yes and I'm super excited to be doing my first ever guest post.  Thank you to Rachel for giving me this opportunity!

While scouring the many wonders and distractions that is Pintrest, I stumbled across a recipe (if you will) for DIY laundry detergent.  Just recently had I become a user and fan of dry laundry detergent.  Cheaper AND better, it said.  Well, who can say no to that?

Personally, I'm all about the smelly-goodness of laundry.  I hate it if I pull my laundry out of the dryer and...nothing.  Okay, so it doesn't smell like puke or sweat, but it doesn't smell good either.  If I'm going to do all this laundry, I at least want to get some enjoyment out of it.  So, this recipe sounded pretty promising with the inclusion of the Purex Crystals (a laundry enhancer).  In the past I have used the Purex Crystals in combination with my laundry detergent and I absolutely loved it!

Well, I'm really good at finding and repinning awesome projects and then never actually getting around to doing them myself.  Well, this wasn't one of those times.  I went out and bought all the needed items (or so I thought) and got started.  Turns out I did end up forgetting Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, but that's what I get for not taking a list.  I stopped and picked it up the next day.

The most challenging part of this project was grating the bar soap.  I actually had to go out and buy a grater from Wal-Mart because I didn't have one.  I spent about $8.  I think it'd be safe to use a fancy food processor or blender if you're so lucky as to have one that could mince bars of soap.  My hubby was a sweetie and grated my last bar of soap while I was at work, so I was able to come home and get mixing.

After grating your soap, you'll need a large container to mix all the ingredients together in.  You might want to do a little bit of each ingredient at a time, so you're not trying to mix 6 things at once.  I mixed mine in a mop bucket I had in the garage and poured it into the now-empty Purex Crystals container and some other containers I had saved.

You only need 1 to 2 Tablespoons and the cap of the Purex Crystals bottle is about 2 Tablespoons, so you can even use that to measure.  According to Jen from Blissful 55, it even works well in a high efficiency machine because it doesn't cause suds.  Apparently, whether we want to believe it or not, you do not need suds for clean laundry.  Who would have thought?

I loved the smell of this detergent and even threw some in the bottom of my trashcan one day for the heck of it.  It seems to always dissolve, unless I over stuff my ancient and tiny washer with a comforter and the water can't properly access it.  I also wash in cold water, so hot water is not necessary for it to properly dissolve.

The other day, I was lucky enough to snag some help from my two year-old.  Apparently, he enjoys helping with laundry.  If only I found it as much fun as he does!

What You'll Need

  • 1 or 2 Bottles Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (55oz) - Technically optional, but who doesn't want smelly good laundry?
  • 1 Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3 lb 7 oz)
  • 1 Box of Borax (4 lb 12 oz)
  • 1 Container of OxyClean (3 lb) - Also, technically, optional.
  • 1 Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4 lb)
  • Zote or Fels Naptha Bar Soap (28 to 30 oz)

Do It Yourself

  • Finely grate bar soap or microwave and then crumble.
  • Mix all ingredients together.
  • Wash!

Friday, March 29, 2013

How to Make Your Own Keychains

I made these cute little keychains for my girls at the same time I made the charm bracelets I showed you last week.  They will love putting them on their backpacks.



Here's what you need:
Keychain rings
Jump Rings
Charms
Beads
Head Pins
Chain



The alphabet charms were provided to me by Prima Bead. I got the keychain rings from Joann's and everything else were leftovers from other projects.

These were very simple to make.

First I made the beads into charms by inserting head pins and then form a loop at the top of the bead. I show you how to form a loop in my Necklace Tutorial.

Next I attached a length of chain  to the keychain ring with a jump ring. I started with leftover chain pieces that were about 2 inches long and then cut them down after I had added the charms.

Attach your charms with jump rings. I used four charms on each keychain. You could add more if you wanted.

Lastly cut any excess chain.

That's it. Super easy and you can use up leftover beads from other projects, so it's super cheap too.

Here's a closer look at each keychain.


You may also like my other Jewelry tutorials:
How to Make a Charm Bracelet
Trinkettes
How to Make a Bracelet
Necklace Tutorial
Earrings Tutorial
Hand Made Jewelry
Button Necklaces
Pearl Earrings

Monday, March 25, 2013

Terrific Tuesdays #56


This last week my Grandpa passed away. He was 94. He lived in South Dakota. I spent the weekend traveling there and back. It's a long drive. 11 hours each way.

Due to that our features are short. And I probably won't have much on the blog this week.

Here is my favorite from last weeks party:

Chocolate Mint Brownies by Artsy-Fartsy Mama

If you were featured grab a button!
Also check out my facebook page, I post additional features there from time to time.



Here's what I've been up to:
Build Your Own Quilting Frames
 and
How to Make Charm Bracelets 

Now let's see all the terrific things you've been up to.
Here are my guidelines:
1. Link up any projects, crafts, or recipes you have blogged about recently. You can definitely link up several projects. No shops, or link parties please.
2. Comment, comment, comment.  My vision for this link party is not to link and go. Please comment on two other links.
3. I'd love for you to follow my blog.{This is not required, but I’d love for you to take a minute and check it out.} Also if you're so inclined, you can follow me on facebook and pinterest as well.

4. Display my button somewhere on your blog - in the post, the sidebar, or on a party page.
 


Friday, March 22, 2013

How to Make Charm Bracelets

I love charm bracelets. I love how they dangle and jingle. So I decided to make some personalized charm bracelets for my daughters. They have to wait for their birthdays to get them though. It's a surprise - don't tell them!


Charm bracelets are perfect for beginner jewelry makers. Unless you make some of your own charms the only thing you need to know is how to do is open and close a jump ring and cut chain. Pretty basic.


You will need:
Chain
Lobster claw clasp
Jump Rings
Charms
{most of the supplies were provided to me by Prima Bead}


 I got the "girly charms"pack. And check out the alphabet charms.  

And look at this charm. I didn't realize it until I got it, but it's a mini picture frame.


 Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures small enough to fit inside, so I used scrapbook paper. They turned out so cute!



For the chain, I used an old necklace that I didn't want for two of the bracelets. For the third, I had an empty charm bracelet in my stash from who knows where.

For my 3 and 5 year old, I cut the chain to 6 1/2"
My 10 year old's bracelet was 8" long.

Then attach the lobster claw to one end with a jump ring. To wear you can just clip it to the chain, so it's adjustable.

 Remember how I'm trying to add color to my jewelery? So I asked my girls to look through my beads and choose their favorite colors.  They know I made them something, they just don't know what. I made a few charms out of the beads they chose.

Then I figured out the order I wanted the beads to go in. It worked out that I put a charm in every other link.

Just attach them with jump rings. Super easy. I made sure to attach them all on the same side of the chain and made sure the charms were all facing the same direction.

Here's a look at how they all turned out.

My youngest is my little princess, so I used the crown and the princess shoe.


  My 5 year old is my dancer so I gave her the ballet shoes and the tutu.


My oldest is not into all that girly stuff anymore so I looked through my stash and found a key and butterfly that I thought she would like.


I think these charm bracelets turned out super cute. I hope my girls think so too!



Check out Prima Bead for all your jewelry supply needs. They have everything you'll need for your next jewelry project. Click the button below to order supplies. Did I mention they have free shipping to the U.S.?



You may also like:
Trinkettes
How to Make a Bracelet
Necklace Tutorial
Earrings Tutorial
Hand Made Jewelry
Button Necklaces
Pearl Earrings















DIY Jewelry Organizer




{I am an affiliate with Prima Bead. All opinions expressed are mine.}

Monday, March 18, 2013

Terrific Tuesdays #55


Here are some of my favorites from last weeks party:

Crocheted Roses by Craft Cravings
These are beautiful. Go check out her pattern.


Custom Felt Bunny Family by While Wearing Heels
What a fun Easter decoration! 

Dulce de Leche Swirl Brownies by Annie's Noms
You know I'm a sucker for sweets. This looks so yummy! Pinned!

Two Sweet Reversible Apron by Sew Can Do
I'm loving the fabrics she chose for this apron. So cute!!





Here's what I've been up to:
How to Bind a Blanket
and
Now let's see all the terrific things you've been up to.
Here are my guidelines:
1. Link up any projects, crafts, or recipes you have blogged about recently. You can definitely link up several projects. No shops, or link parties please.
2. Comment, comment, comment.  My vision for this link party is not to link and go. Please comment on two other links.
3. I'd love for you to follow my blog.{This is not required, but I’d love for you to take a minute and check it out.} Also if you're so inclined, you can follow me on facebook and pinterest as well.

4. Display my button somewhere on your blog - in the post, the sidebar, or on a party page.
 


Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day - Living Room

It's Monday! Maybe I shouldn't use an exclamation point. I mean, who's really excited that it's Monday. But it's time to get motivated.


For those of you new to this series, each week I focus on an area in my house. I spend 10 minutes each day and clean or organize something in that room. On Monday, I share what I cleaned. It's been  helping me to stay on top of it. And I hope it's helpful for you as well. {The 10 minutes a day does not include bathroom cleaning, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming or doing dishes. With the exception of doing dishes, those things are done on Saturday and the kids help.}


Last week we worked on the Bathroom. This week I focused on the Living Room.


Monday - a quick pickup and then put away dvd's. - 10 minutes. We always seem to gather a stack of dvd's and wii games by our t.v. So I gathered them up and put them back in their correct cases.


Tuesday - 0 minutes. Okay so I went to get my youngest daughter a savings account Tuesday morning. Well, while we were doing that the teller realized that my daughter's name was spelled wrong on her social security card. So I spent the ENTIRE afternoon getting that taken care of. You have to have a birth certifcate and an id. Well 3 year olds generally don't have id's. So I had to go to the medical clinic and get them to print off and sign a form. Then I had to go over to the social security office. I didn't realize it was such a busy place. I thought I'd just pop in real quick and get it done. Not at this office. I waited for an hour. Plus the driving time. Anyway, that's why I didn't get any cleaning done. I think we all have days like that. It seems that so far I've had one every week. Thanks for letting me complain a little ;)


Wednesday - polish piano and bench - 13 minutes. My three year old helped me with do this. Sometimes kids get in the way, but this time I think she helped me get it done faster than I would have without her help.


Thursday - dust ceiling fans - 9 minutes. I did the fan in the living room first, it took just under five minutes, so I decided to dust the fan in the dining room too.


Friday - go through magazine rack - 10 minutes. I threw away a bunch and sorted them all so they look a bit nicer.



Other ideas:
vacuum under couches
clean baseboards
polish fireplace mantle
dust

Next week I'll be working on the entryway.

You may also like:
Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day - Kitchen
Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day - Bathroom


Friday, March 15, 2013

Trinkettes

One of the souvenirs I got when I was on the cruise last month was a bracelet. One of the women at our dinner table got a similar one and I couldn't quit looking at it. So later that night when we were passing the gift shop, I went in to look at them. I couldn't decide if I wanted one, {or more accurately, if I wanted to pay for one} but my husband said, "get it  - then I won't have to figure out what to get you for our anniversary". This is the one I chose.



Confession: I am scared of color. You'll notice I chose a white and silver bracelet. I didn't even look at the colorful ones. I even thought to myself  "I should look through all the other bracelets" The next thought I had was "No, I'm not going to waste my money if it will only match with one outfit."

Well, I figure it's time to get over my aversion to color.

One of the first things I did when I got home was to look through my Prima Bead catalog so that I could find some Trinkettes and add some color to my bracelet.{Prima Bead did supply me with the trinkettes, but they are very reasonably priced}

 These are the ones I decided on. 


In just a few minutes you can swap out the trinkettes and create a whole different look. I love the purple flowers. They're perfect for spring.  I wore this the other day and LOVED it.


I also got red. Now that's a bold color for me. But I bought a cheap red t-shirt for the cruise and I ended up loving it. So now I have a bracelet to match.


There's something about wearing a new piece of jewelry that just makes you feel good.

Prima Bead has tons of Trinkettes. They have Trinkette Kits, which include the bracelet and all the beads {And they are way cheaper than the one I got on the cruise}. They have Trinkette Mixes which are what I got {a mix of  several coordinating beads}. You can also buy the Trinkettes individually. Click the button below to check them out.




You may also like:
How to Make a Bracelet
Necklace Tutorial
Earrings Tutorial
Hand Made Jewelry
Button Necklaces
Pearl Earrings



Thursday, March 14, 2013

Rolo Cookies

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite cookies. I made these a couple weeks ago and none of us could stop eating them. 

Let me introduce the Rolo Cookie:



These are soft, moist, chewy and even crunchy if you opt to roll them in nuts.

I have actually had this recipe for a long time, but I haven't made them in a couple years. Mostly because I have no self control when it comes to these cookies.

They're made with a cake mix so they are SUPER easy. Are you ready for the recipe?

Want to see more of our favorite cookies: Visit our Best Cookie Recipes page.



 
This is the first time I've tried them with nuts. I LOVED them that way. We have some picky eaters, so I made some without nuts too.

I'm wishing I had more Rolos right now... I'd whip up another batch!

MORE COOKIE RECIPES


Rolo Cookies

Rolo Cookies

Yield: 24
Author: Rachel Nielsen
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 25 M
A delicious chocolate cookie with a caramel center!

ingredients:

  • 1 pkg. Devils Food Cake Mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 3 T. oil
  • 3 rolls of Rolos
  • 1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

instructions:

How to cook Rolo Cookies

  1. Mix together the first four ingredients until combined. 
  2. Unwrap the Rolos.
  3. Take a small piece of dough and wrap it around each Rolo, forming the dough into a ball. 
  4. Roll the ball in chopped nuts if desired.
  5. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. 
  7. Cool on the pan 2 minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Calories
132.59
Fat (grams)
4.76
Sat. Fat (grams)
0.98
Carbs (grams)
21.01
Fiber (grams)
0.56
Net carbs
20.44
Sugar (grams)
10.69
Protein (grams)
1.80
Sodium (milligrams)
183.68
Cholesterol (grams)
7.96
Nutritional information is automatically generated and is not guaranteed to be correct.
Rolo cookies, chocolate caramel cookies,
Dessert, Cookies
American
Created using The Recipes Generator

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How to Bind a Blanket

Today I'm going to show you how I bind a blanket.

This is part of a three part series. Last week I showed you How to Tie a Blanket and next week I'll show you how to Build Your Own Quilting Frames.



How to Bind a Blanket
Last week, the blanket I shared did not have binding. I basically sewed it, right sides together and then flipped it right side out and sewed the hole closed. But a bound blanket looks much nicer, even if it does take a little more time.

I tack down the back of the blanket with the right side down. Then add batting and then add the top of the blanket right side up. Then tie it as I showed you last week.


How to Bind a Blanket:

Step 1: Once your blanket is tied, trim the top layer of fabric all the way around. I took off somewhere between a 1/2 inch and an inch.

Step 2: Fold up the bottom fabric as shown.

Step 3: Fold up one more time.

I thread my needle, pulling the needle to the middle of the thread and tie both ends of the string together.

Step 4: Insert your needle so that the knot is hidden behind the top fold. {You will probably have to unfold it a bit} Pull the needle through.

Step 5: Now I insert the needle, grabbing a small part of the top of the blanket. Pull the needle through.

Step 6: Insert your needle back into the binding close to the same spot that you just attached it to the blanket. Thread it through the binding about 1/2 inch.


Repeat these steps 5 & 6 over and over until you run out of string or until you reach a corner. As you go you will have to continue to fold over the fabric. 


I don't know if there is a right way to do corners, but this is how I do them.

I begin by folding over the next side of the blanket.


Then I fold under the top of the fold so that it is mitered. Then I sew it in place.


Continue all the way around the blanket. It took me a couple hours to bind a small baby blanket.



Be sure to check back next week. I'll show you how I made my own quilting frames.


Monday, March 11, 2013

Terrific Tuesdays #54


I decided to do a random ordered link party this week. Let me know if you like it or not.


Here are some of my favorites from last weeks party:

Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark by Your Homebased Mom
St. Patricks Day is my favorite holiday! Maybe because it's my birthday too :) This looks super tasty and festive!
Emmaline Dress by A Couple of Craft Addicts
Such cute fabric! I love the length. 
Craft Sewing Closet by DIY by Design
 Go check out the before. She did an amazing job!



Now let's see all the terrific things you've been up to.
Here are my guidelines:
1. Link up any projects, crafts, or recipes you have blogged about recently. You can definitely link up several projects. No shops, or link parties please.
2. Comment, comment, comment.  My vision for this link party is not to link and go. Please comment on two other links.
3. I'd love for you to follow my blog.{This is not required, but I’d love for you to take a minute and check it out.} Also if you're so inclined, you can follow me on facebook and pinterest as well.

4. Display my button somewhere on your blog - in the post, the sidebar, or on a party page.
 


Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day - Bathroom



It's Monday! Time to get motivated. One of the things that has helped me this last week, is to not allow myself to do "fun" stuff until I've done my 10 minutes of cleaning. To learn more about this new series, read last weeks post.

So how did you all do? Did you get your kitchens a little bit cleaner last week?

This week's focus:  The Bathroom {I worked on the main bathroom}

Monday - 0 minutes
Tuesday - Clean out drawers - 10 min.
Wednesday - Clean out Garbage can - 3 min. Clean bathroom door - 12 min. Total 15 min.
Thursday - Clean closet door - 9 min.
Friday - Dust and clean light fixture - 11 min.
Saturday - Saturday Jobs

 Monday - I grocery shop once a month. This was the day that I went. Between shopping, putting everything away and then catching up on dishes and the normal mom stuff, I chose to skip the cleaning.

Tuesday - I thought I'd easily get the drawers cleaned. I only got two of them done before my time was up.  It goes against my nature to leave things unfinished. But I will not want to keep doing this if I end up spending an hour each day instead of the 10 minutes I intend.

Wednesday - the garbage can was quick, I stuck it in the tub and scrubbed it down. Since it only took 3 minutes, I thought I could easily wipe down the bathroom door in 7  minutes. Wrong! There were tons of grimy finger prints. And then there was the hairspray build up too. It looks way better now, but took a little longer than expected. I also cleaned the molding around the door.

Thursday - This door went a little faster since the inside of the door wasn't that dirty at all.

Friday - I dusted the shelves, picture frames, and the top ledge of the shower that I always forget to clean. Then I still had some time so I cleaned the light fixture. It was super dusty too.

I still have several things I'd like to do in the bathroom. I'll get to them next time around. But I'll list them here as a reminder to myself as well as for you to get ideas from.

Other ideas:
Straighten Cabinet
Clean outside of cabinet
Clean inside of cabinet
Straighten closet
Wash baseboards
Wash walls
Get hairspray build up off of floor
Refinish (laquer) cabinet


Next week I'll be working on the Living Room.


You may also like:
Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day - Kitchen



Sunday, March 10, 2013

Something to Think About Sunday



This is one of my favorite quotes.

"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." 
 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland


Friday, March 8, 2013

Saturday Jobs

In my first "Clean Your House in 10 minutes a day" post I shared that we have a cleaning day on Saturday. Today I'm going to expand on that a little more.

When my oldest two were 3 and 5 years old I started having them help me clean the bathroom each week. It was a lot of work. You basically have to do it with them. And sometimes do it again after them to get it done right. But I'm so glad that I started doing that. They now know that Saturday is cleaning day. {During the summer we do it on Mondays - that way it frees up Saturday morning to check out yard sales}

 It started out with them helping with the tub and the sink. Now that there are four kids they basically clean the whole bathroom. Which is only fair since they use it the most. We have a little pie chart that they rotate each week to see what job they do: Sink, toilet, tub,and mop/mirror.  Now my youngest two are 3 and 5 so they still need help and direction in cleaning, but my older two have got it down. Although they don't always get it as clean as I would, that's ok. I help my 3 year old with whatever job she has, so at least once a month everything gets a good scrubbing.

Besides the kids bathroom, I also clean my bathroom and then vacuum the house and sweep the kitchen. Sometimes I mop. Okay.... Okay.... I confess I rarely mop. I try to clean up spills as they come so I don't have to mop as much. If I mop once a month then I'm patting myself on the back.

I think the biggest thing is making it a habit. The kids are still young enough to think it's fun and as they get older they'll just know that's what we do. There are a few weeks of the year {holidays or vacations} that we don't get it done, but mostly we just do it.


Thursday, March 7, 2013

How to Clean Your Curling Iron

Do you have a curling iron that looks like this?

 How many of you remember the days when you sprayed each piece of hair with hairspray before curling it? Am I the only one who did that as a teenager?

Well now that I've grown up a little, I no longer hairspray my hair before I curl it. I do however spray it with a heat protectant. As you can see it builds up on the curling iron over time.

The fix: grab a piece of steel wool {Not the kind with soap in it} and rub it gently all over the curling iron. In five minutes or less it will look as good as new.

Don't believe me? Just take a look at the results!

Look the clamp even closes all the way now that all that build up has been removed. And would you believe it works way better? I wonder why ;)

I have only tried this method on cheaper {$30ish or less} curling irons. It doesn't scratch it at all. If you have a really expensive one you may want to be a little cautious.

This works great on my straightener too.

Have any of you heard this tip before? Have you tried it before?

***UPDATE  05-13-13: My sister tried this today and it started to peel off the finish on her flat iron. I think it may depend on the type of curling iron or flat iron you have. I haven't had a problem. You may want to try it in an inconspicuous area or not at all if you're worried about it.***


You may also like:
 Clean Your House in 10 Minutes a Day

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