Pretty and Simple

Have you ever gotten a really good idea for something, maybe a decorating idea, a sewing project, an organizing idea, and thought to yourself how easy it would be, or how much you'd just love to do something like that....and then you Never Do It?

I have. Many, many times.  It's one of the things that bugs me about myself. :P

Often my excuse has to do with money, or time, or, the best one - I just never get around to it.

One of my goals is to conquer this weakness of mine, by tackling projects, big and little that catch my attention, and finishing them.  Sometimes they're as simple as buying a pretty glass jug to put my dish detergent in.  

I saw this idea about two years ago, and I thought to myself how elegant it looked.  It turns an everyday, ordinary thing into something beautiful.  And it's no more difficult to use, it's just as practical.  It's a little embarrassing that something that simple took that long.

Second hand shops are a fabulous place to things like this, by the way!  Beautiful and expensive do not always go hand in hand!

A simple wooden picture frame with stiff aida cloth inserted inside, and picture nails nailed along the bottom make a great jewelry display/organizer! 

Another project that I've wanted to do for years is to figure out some way to store my jewelry, other than a little bag in the cupboard.  I've grown rather tired of untangling a mass of necklaces every time I want to accessorize a little!  I saw an idea similar to this at anther friend's house, and thought it was brilliant.  Why not display jewelry at the same time as organizing and storing it?!   That way, you can enjoy all the pieces even when you're not wearing them!

I'm discovering more and more how important it is to me that the things surrounding me be both beautiful and useful.  A plastic bin will organize toys just fine, but a basket Looks so much nicer!  And it accomplishes the same thing!   An empty plastic yogurt container and a glass jar can both serve to store dry things in the cupboard, but the jar looks so much nicer! (In my opinion, if yogurt containers fit better with your style, go for it! :P)

I have several more projects in the works that I'd love to share with you once they're done!  It's actually pretty addicting, once you start attempting new projects, and trying out new ideas!

Getting Green....and Loving It!

 When I was growing up, my mom did a lot of things that were different than the way a lot of other moms did things.

*She used vinegar for cleaning instead of buying "normal" store bought cleaners

*She hung clothes out on the line in nice weather instead of putting them in the dryer

*She cooked from scratch

*She made her own laundry detergent

*She had a big garden at nearly every home we lived in

*She always grew houseplants

*She used cloth diapers

*She even milked a cow and made her own yogurt once we lived in the country!

Now that I have my own home, I find myself doing many of the same things, and even more different things along the same lines.  The irony here is that when I was growing up, I was positive that once I had my own home, I would never do a lot of those things.  I didn't see the point behind a lot of them, to me it was more of an inconvenience than anything else, and I just didn't get it.

Now,  having actually researched these things on my own, I'm beginning to discover for myself the huge benefits that come along with living in a more "green" way.  

For me,  I like to see the benefits that come from something right away.  I still love to see instant results,  so sometimes in the health realm, I'm going more by faith, since the results will either pay off in the future, or they're simply not hugely noticeable now.  

It's nice when one of the bigger benefits to choosing a more healthy way of doing things actually saves money.  That's a huge motivator for me! :P  

Making my own laundry soap and cleaning products definitely falls under that category.  Plus, I do not enjoy the chemical laden smells that accompany "normal" cleaners, and I love it when my bathroom smells like vinegar when I'm finished!  Another benefit of using natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda, is that I'm not nervous about my little man being with me while I clean.  I'm secure knowing that his lungs and skin aren't being contaminated by toxins while I kill germs.

Cloth diapers is another huge money saver, and with the diapers I use (Kawaii Baby), they're so easy to use and really, not that much more work than using disposables.

I'm having so much fun on my journey of educating myself on healthier living, it's such a blessing that I have more time now....that (for me) babies come one at a time!  I know there will be some seasons of my life when I won't have the time to read and research as much, so I'm trying to take advantage of "free time" now and learn as much as I can!

Treasure Hunting

 Once upon a time there were two sisters.  

One day, they decided to go "garage sailing" together to find treasures.

The day started off very beautifully with tea and coffee, and amazing treats from a wonderful bakery.

The two sisters were very successful in buying things they needed, and finding wonderful treasures together!

By the end of the day, the little van was full, and the sisters were happy and excited with what they had acquired.

My wonderful finds.....all this for less than $60!

And a few favorites.....starting with this beautiful edition of Lord of the Rings, illustrated by Alan Lee!

And next these adorable shoes for Ian when he's a bit bigger!

And I got two more books for my Dr. Seuss collection!

And some fun clothes for a few bucks....the shirt has my birth year on it, I mean, how cool is that?!

Homemade Laundry Soap

A couple of weeks ago, my sister came over and we made homemade laundry detergent together.  It was something our mom did, and something we both had wanted to do for a long time.

There were several reasons, cost being the biggest one for me.  It is waaaaaay cheaper to make your own laundry detergent!  If I was amazingly organized, I would have all the figures right here so I could blow you away with how much money we're saving.  But I don't have the figures, so you'll just have to believe me. :)  All the ingredients we used for two recipes cost less than you would pay for one medium sized container of detergent, and we both have enough to fill at least three such containers.  

It's so exciting to find relatively simple ways to save money every day!  It's such a blessing to be able to be at home enough to do things like this!  

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

2 cups grated soap (we used Ivory, but any gentle soap should work)

2 cups borax

2 cups washing soda (not baking soda)

1 quart of boiling water

2 gallons of water

*Add grated soap to the boiling water and stir until the soap is melted.  (You can keep it on low heat until the soap is melted.) ~I just used a kettle to boil the water, and stirred it until it was melted.

*Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda.  Stir well until all is dissolved.

*Add the 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.

*Cover pail and use 1/4 cups for each load of laundry.  Stir the soap each time you use it.  ~I poured mine into an empty laundry detergent container, and just give it a good shake before I do laundry.