Sunday's Pictures - A Little sand and surf

Good morning. I hope everyone is having a nice lazy Sunday, relaxing with your morning coffee.  Here's a couple of pics to put your thoughts in a warmer place.

 

Happy Sunday, I hope you all

have a wonderful week

 

A Pantry Storage Idea

I've see this little can storage box made from a pop can case in a few different places.  I can't remember where I saw it first so I'll just show you the one I made. 

I had a few paper options for covering this.  Craft paper, or wrapping paper would have added some nice colour, but I chose to use this scrap bit of wallpaper because it was nice and stiff and because it had a vinyl washable surface. 

First make a few cuts in you box.  The piece that comes out naturally for pop can removal is fine for the front removal of your cans but you will want an opening in the back at the top as well, for restocking the cans. This way you are always using the oldest cans first and don't have to worry about items becoming outdated.




















Lay your box on the paper you are using for the cover and carefully fold the sides up and over the top of the box until they meet, like you are wrapping a gift.  I used some spray adhesive on the box to glue it on.

With your scissors make some cuts in the paper so you can wrap over the cut edges in the box and glue the pieces over . Clothespins make a great extra hand to hold the pieces down until dry.

This is really easy and makes keeping the smaller cans in your pantry organized.  I use mine for soups, beans, smaller cans of fruit and any items that are small enough to fit. No more stacks of small cans tumbling over and making a mess.

I just marked my contents with a marker, but I think some chalk board labels would be great on the front of these boxes and make it a lot easier to change contents.

Tip: using the washable wallpaper was a really great idea and a lot of times you can pick up out of stock rolls at the store for very cheap. One roll would cover a lot of these boxes, and wallpaper also makes great shelf liner.

I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment and tell me

what you think of todays post.

Upcycling Old Crib Parts

Yesterday I showed you how I used the side rail of an old crib to create storage / art for children's books so it just seems logical that I should share what I did with the rest of the crib.  When I picked up this crib for $5 bucks at a yard sale I actually pictured it as multiple projects.

This is what  I did with the head and foot boards.  

I have grandkids  The two smallest, a girl and a boy needed chalkboards.  If your under six then a little chalkboard isn't going to make the grade, when under six bigger is better.  With these crib ends in my stash I thought they just might be big enough to satisfy.

For both these boards I removed all the metal hardware for adjusting the sides etc. and gave them a good cleaning with hot water and vinegar.  Then using my DIY chalky paint I gave them two coats of paint over the entire surface.  I choose the colours from what I had mixed. I choose blue for the little boys and the nice peachy pink for the girls.

 Tip: when you mix up some custom paint put some on a paint stick so you can see at a glance what you currently have to work with.

I love the spindle detail at the top of these pieces.

Once they were dry I taped off the flat area and did 3 coats of the  DIY chalky paint in a slate black. I do three coats on all my chalk board surfaces going in opposite directions for each coat.

I let both board dry for a few days and went back and did the final touches.  The area painted with the pretty blue and pink got a good coat of clear furniture paste wax from Minwax, being careful not to get any wax onto the black chalkboard area. Just rub it in with a rag and when its dry go back with a soft cloth and buff to a nice shine.  

 

 

To get the chalk board ready it needs to be primed.  To do this rub a piece of chalk on its side over the complete surface of the chalkboard.  This fills all surface area of the board in with chalk and prevents ghosting when the board is used later.  Really rub that chalk in to the whole surface. Now clean off the board and  it's done.  Ready for gifting to two happy grand kids.

I could have turned these boards into easels but like the book storage idea, I was going with the thought that we need to keep as much floor space available for other activities.  Using wall space in a childs bedroom only makes sense.

I'd love to hear from you.

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what you think of todays post.

Create Book Storage... that's both functional and a piece of art.

This is an idea that I came up with, while trying to create a cozy place to read to my kidlets, when I was still doing my home daycare .

All I did was use one side of a crib.  I used some two inch square blocks and screwed the crib rail directly to the wall. By placing the blocks between the rail and the wall as spacers this left just enough room to hang the books over the rungs so the covers showed, like a giant book collage.  You could even use some thread spools as spacers if you had them.  All done. Easy peasy. 


The addition of a big arm chair creates a perfect cuddle up and read spot.

Our favorite Dr Seuss quote and "Oh... The Places You'll Go"


 
 


























The kidlets could choose their favorite books with just a glance.





















This is such an easy upcycle project and would look great in any child's room.  It takes up no room if you are looking to reserve floor space for other activities.   A few pillows on the floor would be a great addition if there isn't room for a big chair.  Plus, I didn't even paint mine as hardly any of the rail shows when it's loaded up with books. Of course it would only take a short time to give your crib rail a coordinating colour.  
 I love the cover art on children's books and this is a really great way to store your favorite stories close at hand and add some art to your child's room at the same time.


I didn't even paint mine because not a lot of the rack shows, but you could do a room co-ordinating colour if you choose

I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment and tell me

what you think of todays post.

My Favorite Powdered Laundry Detergent for ten cents a load

A Few years ago I decided I wanted to make my home chemical free, or as close to it as I possibly could.  I set out to do that by making as many homemade cleaning agents as I could without sacrificing quality.   I didn't want to tell people I make my own laundry detergent while wearing dingy whites or stained T-shirts. 

Like I said it's been a couple of years and I have tried a few different recipes for Laundry Detergent and Stain remover,  All purpose cleaners, Window cleaner,  Furniture Polish and a few others.  Some of them worked OK, and some of them were really great. Much more than what I expected.  

Because laundry is such a huge chore in every household, and because I recently came across this article headlined Discover The Hidden Toxins In Your Laundry Detergent That May Be Wreaking Havoc On Your Health  I'm going to start with my very favorite Laundry Detergents.   I wasn't a big fan of any of the liquid laundry detergent recipes I tried mainly because of the room they took up and the fact that you had to shake and stir it every time you went to use it . I couldn't find a way to keep it from separating. However; I did like the way it cleaned. My clothes came out nice and clean and   all odours were removed.  It was doing the job.  When I made up my liquid laundry detergent the first time I also made a batch of the powdered detergent because the ingredients were almost the same.  I have to say I did love the powdered detergent.  It did the same cleaning job and was just so much easier to use. 

All the recipes I found called for washing soda and for a bar of Fels Naptha soap.  I've never found either one in any of the stores here in central Ontario.  If you know where I can find either of these in this area please leave a message in the comments and let me know. I'd really like to try them. 

I needed to find substitutes to solve this  dilemma. After a short google search I found out I could actually turn regular baking soda into washing soda by baking it in the oven.  Just spread it out on a bar pan and pop it in.  You can read how, and what happens to change it here. How to turn baking soda to washing soda.


I couldn't get Fels Naptha here in Ontario either, so I decided I would use Ivory bar soap.  My reasoning for this was it's gentleness.  I have very sensitive skin and a lot of soaps will make me itch. I knew the Ivory didn't do that.  You could probably try another brand but this worked well for me so I'm sticking with it. I have used this detergent on clothing for baby's and toddlers as well and its fine.



















Another good reason to use the Ivory is that I don't have to grate it all.  I can just pop it in the microwave and let it do its stuff. If you've never done this it's a neat trick.  Show the kids, and they'll love it.  Once your puffed up soap cools just rub the chunks between your palms until you have a nice pile of soap powder, much smoother than a grated soap. 

 




















Now on to making your detergent...... 
First gather all your ingredients plus a measuring cup.

 

Then add all your ingredients to a very large bowl and mix together really well.  Tip: I used a kerchief tied  over my mouth and nose when I did the mixing. I really don't think this stuff should be breathed in, It may be mostly natural but it its still detergent.

Once you have it well mixed put it into your container.  You could use a pretty jar, or an old laundry detergent box. I used a plastic container from  previously used pods.

Besides doing a great job of cleaning our clothes, this detergent will save you a ton of money.
If you do the math you will see how much money you can save by making your own. All told I spent  about $15 and I have enough supplies to make between three and four batches of this powdered detergent.  That's about 150 loads for $15 or only 10cents a load. 
The borax is a natural cleaner and freshner , Baking soda deodorizes the extra tough odours, Washing soda is a wonderful cleaner,  The bar of soap does what soap does... it cleans , and the Epsom salts that I add do a wonderful job of softening the water so it is easier for the other ingredients to do their intended jobs.  It also makes your clothes a little softer in the end.

Here's my Recipe:

 

1 large bar ivory soap - or two small ones. Grate or do the microwave magic.

3 cups Borax

2 cups washing soda

1 cup baking soda

1 cup of epsom salt crystals - use a fine grind or put it in a coffee grinder to make the crystals finer.

-mix all ingredients together

-use 1/4 cup per load

 

You really only need to use the 1/4 cup  because that is enough even for an extra large load. Using more will only lead to a build up on your clothes and in your washer.

 

 

 

I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment and tell me

what you think of todays post.

Laundry Mondays......Getting Control of your Laundry - part 3

So far we have addressed the sorting issues here in part one, and the washing is getting done on a regular schedule here in part two.  Now we just need to get it all dried and put away.

If you are staying home all day or just arriving home from work its all the same.  Move the load from the washer to the dryer as soon as you have a few minutes. That's all it takes , a few minutes. 
Then turn on your dryer and let it dry. 

Some people use dryer sheets, and some use softener in the washer.  I use my reusable DIY dryer sheets.
I also use dryer balls.  These handy little items are so easy to make and they are a real workhorse in your dryer.  You canput a few drops of your favorite essential oil on your dryer balls if you would like your laundry scented.  I like to do it when drying my towels.

Drying clothes indoors is a big burden on the electric bill.  Using three dryer balls in your load helps with drying time.  I found that my clothes dry in about 2 thirds the time, thus saving me money.  Another perk is that they reduce wrinkles.  You can make your own, or purchase them.  They are just a tightly wound ball of wool that has been felted.  I will cover how to make them in another post.

Once your clothes are dry, if you have the time, just fold them right out of the dryer. This is the best way, eliminating nearly all wrinkles and any need for ironing.

More often than not this is the real scenario...Your clothes are dry, you heard the buzzer signaling the end of load a while ago but you were busy doing something else.  I hardly ever fold my clothes as soon as the buzzer sounds.  I end up doing the same thing every time no matter how good my intentions were.  I wait until all other chores are done for the day and then I go  and toss my dryer full of laundry into a basket.  I bring it to the TV room and fold while I'm watching.

 Once it's all folded I put it back into the basket to deliver to it's final destination.  If you sort items by person when folding then it is easy to just put each person's pile on top of their dresser. Make it their chore to put their own clothes away. Better still just  get them to take their own pile,  to their own room.

 You will want to put away for younger family members not able to do their own, There's nothing worse than rewashing items that weren't used,  so make sure it all gets in those drawers and closets. 


WOW
You Laundry is done, So lets do a recap.
-You've  set up a sorting station, and now your laundry is always sorted and ready for the wash. 
-You spent 5 minutes max to put a load in the washer in the morning. 
- You spent another 5 minutes max to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer.
- You spent about 20 minutes folding your laundry
- Another few minutes to put it away. 
If you can fit a half hour into your cleaning schedule you can stay on top of it, and unless you have a large family, you will find you don't need to do a load every single day.

This routine is just the one I follow and it works for me, you will need to figure out what works for you and your family.  However; If you get into the habit of following  a routine, even the largest family can have clean laundry on a regular basis and it does not become a daunting task that gets out of control.

In the future I'll  share some of the really easy DIY recipes I use to make my own laundry supplies.   As you can see from this picture I'm out of the powdered detergent so I will make a batch soon and share it.   Talk about saving money, and it works great.

I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment and tell me

what you think of todays post.

Sunday's Pictures - A litte bit of NOLa

This weeks pictures are a few of my favorites from a trip to New Orleans, when I went in September of 2008 with all four of my fabulous sisters.  I highly recommend that everyone do a sisters only trip at least once.




The beautiful hand forged grillwork is on the front of so many buildings

 

Pirates alley was beautiful with it's balconies and colourful plastered walls



Amazing street musicians.



Exterior of Boregaurd - Keyes house (museum)



Boreguard - Keyes house magnificent mouldings and trim.



Preservation Hall on Bourbon street.





Happy Sunday, I hope you all

have a wonderful week

A Coffee Table Facelift

 

I took this coffee table as a trade for a side table and mirror that I painted  last winter. 

 

 

 
 



It was nice and large, and it had one of those tops that lifted for occasional dining.    

 

 

 

 

However;  it had been used  by two little girls who loved to do their nails and crafts in front of the tv.  There were nail polish spills,  and water marks,  some marker and even a few scratches.  There was even a little piece of the veneer missing on one side. 

 

This great table needed a facelift.  I started by giving the whole thing a really good clean with some all purpose cleaner, and then a rinse with some water and vinegar.  

 

Then I mixed up a good sized batch of my DIY chalky paint in this great graphite colour.  It was a mis-tint that I picked up on sale so it didn't have an actual name, but graphite works for me.  Its the exact colour of pencil lead.  I kind of painted it backwards though. I really should have done the inside first.

 

I gave it two coats of chalky paint and then two more of a poly top coat.  In spite of the odd approach to the paint job I think it turned out quite nice.    It has since found its forever home with family looking for a table to use with a sectional sofa.  This one was the perfect fit.

 

 

It wasn't until after it was gone that I realized I hadn't taken a final picture.  I really have to start staging things for that final glam shot.  These pictures  really don't do it the justice it deserves.

 

 

 

I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment and tell me

what you think of todays post.