Pretty Bathroom Storage

In December I made a few Apothecary Jars for storage in my bathroom. You can read that post here.  While I loved the idea I wasn't happy with the metallic champagne colour I choose.  The fixtures in my bathroom are chrome so I wanted a display to match.  I bought a can of chrome spray paint and brought together a few items I thought would make a good display.

I had this vintage dressing room tray that was a yard sale find many years ago.  I never really used it, it just landed in my stash of future projects.  It had a metal frame, a mirror that slid out  similar to  a picture frame and there were tiny little feet on it to protect your dresser top.  As much as I loved it I was never sure what to use it for.  Of course I always have jars in my stash and I had a couple of candlesticks as well.

I put the tray frame in my spray booth a cardboard box and gave it a good chrome paint job.  I painted the jar lids and the candlesticks as well. 

I used an epoxy to glue the candlesticks to two of the jars, I left the other two without stands.  I want some little glass knobs for the tops of the jars, so I left them for now hoping I will find just what I want later.

I assembled the tray, the jars, and my little perfume bottles on the bathroom counter below a shelf that was already there.

I like this little display much better than the original jars. All the little odds and ends for hair and nails are gathered in one place and my necklaces are hanging and easy to find,  instead of all tangled in a drawer. 

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DIY Hand Sanitizer

We are right in the middle of cold and flu season, and we all do our best to avoid getting sick.  We get a flu shot,  we wash our hands as often as possible, and when we're out and about we use hand sanitizer.

  No one wants to bring unwanted germs home from something as simple as a trip to the grocery store so I wanted a to make a natural hand sanitizer that I could throw in my bag.  Naturally I turned to my essential oils.

















I gathered together the items and  made up a spray in about 5 minutes. Honestly it takes longer to write about it than it does to make it. I had the little spray bottle in my stash (I am a container hoarder) and it was the perfect size so I didn't need to buy anything. A couple of little spritzes in the palm of your hand and a quick rub. 

Hand Sanitizer Spray Recipe

1/4 cup Witch Hazel (I use one with Aloe added)
1/4 cup of alcohol
 1tsp of vegetable glycerine  and
1tsp of vitamin E oil   for a little protection  for the skin

10 drops of Lemon essential oil   

10 drops of Clove bud essential oil  

 10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil  

10 drops of Cinnamon  essential oil  

I put the ingredients into a spray bottle and gave it a shake. 
These oils combined have great antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Use the links to see for yourself what they can be used for.

TIP:  Add these oils to a larger spray bottle then top it up with  alcohol and water and you have a great spray to use around the house to kill germs in the air as well.  I add a little Tea Tree Oil in my spray as well.

I use this spray around the house regularly now.  It would really help during those times when everyone in your house seems to have some kind of a bug. 

 I spray regularly this time of year and so far this year we have been really lucky. We have had no colds or flu in our house.  Here's hoping we can all stay healthy this year.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

I found this little rocking chair at a yard sale and it was right in my price range.  I think I got the chair, the two tall plant stands and a few other smaller items for $15 total. 

The woman having the sale said  it was her sons and he was in college now. I was quite happy that it was sturdy and had no broken rungs.  It was in really good shape.

I used a bit of vinegar and water to get rid of a little grime, and a blob of peanut butter took care of the little sticker. 

Two coats of the same peachy pink DIY chalky paint that was left over from a chalk board I had just done , and this little beauty was ready for it's new home...... almost.

I chose Twinkle Twinkle, because this rocker was for my granddaughter and she is definitely my Little Star.

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All Purpose liquid cleaner.

Whenever I cleaned my house I used to cough, and my eyes would water and my skin would itch.  For hours after I was done I would feel like I had a cold, and I would have to use my inhalers to catch my breath.  I needed a DIY natural all purpose cleaner that I could use for everything.  Until this I had been trying to purchase as natural as possible but wasn't really happy with the results. The chemicals agents listed in the cleaning products you buy at the store are for the most part unpronouncable. And trying to look up what they are is next to impossible. I don't think they really want us to understand what we're using because if we did, we wouldn't. Besides, every time we use these cleaners, toxins are realeased into the air we are breathing in our homes. These toxins can contribute to a number of different things including -Breathing disorders -Skin irritations -Insomnia -Fatigue and Headaches to name a few. And the Natural cleaning products available are way too pricy and not all that "natural"
 I wanted a cleaner that would disinfect as well as clean. I wanted something that would work on greasy messes. I wanted something that could be diluted for a spray cleaner that would work great and smell nice, and I wanted something I could add full strength to a bucket of hot water and clean my floors with. I was looking for something that really worked with the least amount of elbow grease. Guess what? I think I have it ... something that works for everything. well almost everything, I don't use it on my laundry.

I knew that I could clean with just the vinegar, but I wanted to add an extra kick to it. I used a jug of vinegar that was almost empty  and started stuffing it full with all my other ingredients. Once it was almost full I topped it up with more vinegar. 

I  gave it a good shake and  put it under my kitchen sink. Then I forgot about it for a month.... well actually closer to two, because I really did forget about it. I wanted the vinegar to infuse with as much of the properties from the added ingredients as it possibly could.  When I use this I just strain what I need through a coffee filter and put the rest back under the sink.

To use as a floor cleaner just add about half a cup to a gallon of hot water and mop as usual. So far this has worked great on my vinyl floors and the tile in the entry. 

To use this as an all purpose spray cleaner  pour into a spray bottle til its about 1/3 full and fill the rest of the way with water. Spray directly onto surfaces and wipe with a cloth. It works on all the surfaces in my kitchen and bathroom removing grimy messes and makes everything smell great. The vinegar smell evaporates quickly leaving behind the natural, pleasant scent of the other ingredients.

 I even clean my stove and exhaust fan with it, full strength on a cloth , and if there is a true test for a grease cutter it's your exhaust and the back of your stove. I love this stuff. I've been using it since last fall now, and my only regret is that I didn't make more because I'm going to run out before my thyme and sage are ready in the garden again. Oh well , this summer I'll make extra just to be safe.

Here's what I used and why I used it:

White vinegar.

 


















according to this article at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/cleaning/does-vinegar-kill-germs/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAgMKmBRDMjo_F9OfUubABEiQAp8Ky11Qr2H3qVi3JIGjM24FYRg1PbmDT-WHmGDu_Tdol3oAaAsoa8P8HAQ

Acetic acid or white vinegar is a great disinfectant. It also acts as a deodorizer and cuts grease.

And you can tackle household bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and other "gram-negative" bacteria with vinegar. Gram-negative bacteria can cause infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical site infections, and meningitis.
According to Canada's National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, the acid in vinegar crosses the cell membrane of bacteria and prompts a release of protons, which causes the cell to die. 

Orange peels.

A study published in the 2013 issue of "International Journal of Biotechnology" found that orange oil inhibited the growth of various pathogens, including the bacteria Escherichia coli and the fungus Candida albicans.

Lemon peels.

 













Lemon peels in vinegar will cut grease and smell really great. Who doesn't love a lemon fresh just cleaned smell. And in several articles I read, lemon essential oil had minor microbial and anti fungal properties. Lemon is also a great whitener and works great removing stains from white counter tops. Try using a fresh cut lemon half on a stain.

Tip: Save lemon and orange peels in a bag in the freezer to use later.

 

Thyme

  Thymol is an oil extracted from Thyme leaves. The label on a cleaning product I saw recently in the store stated that it kills 99.9% of household germs, including cold and flu viruses. I couldn't find anything to corroborate this fact, but I did find that it  inhibits bacterial growth, is a  good antiseptic, helps keep away insects, and is antifungal.

 

Sage

Sage has excellent antibacterial properties, and is an excellent natural disinfectant and deodorizer.

The thyme and sage came out of my garden. Whenever I have a choice I like to use what I can grow myself. This is part of the reason I choose these specific ingredients.

If you wanted to make your own you could use my recipe or you could make your own. I was thinking of adding a few drops of essential oils to my spray during cold and flu season for some extra kick. Maybe some euculyptus or tree tree oil. Try doing a little research of your own and see if the plants you have in your garden can be used to keep your home clean and healthy.  

On a more personal note, I have asthma and fibromyalgia, and since getting rid of the extra chemicals in my home, I have used less medication and had a great improvement in my overall health.  So think about what you are adding to your home when you clean. Are your cleaning supplies harming your air quality? and if so, your family's health?　

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

 

 

 

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