St. Pat's Picture Display

Our Dynamic Frames haven't exactly been swapped out with new artwork lately.  My little artist is on to bigger and better things, I guess.  Well, I took this opportunity to display our St. Patrick's Day projects.  I still love these frames, they double as storage!

As for the projects on display (they posted last week):

St. Pat's WordArt
St. Pat's Keep Calm
Glittered Rainbow

Wine Bottle Vase with Conversation Hearts as Filler

Do the Paper Heart Roses look familiar??  Well, that because I posted them yesterday!
Check out that post HERE.

I needed a vase to put them in so I grabbed a wine bottle (empty) and filled it with some conversation hearts and stuck my paper heart roses in it.

Cream of Some Soup

This may literally be the best tip I have ever found.  (See my source at the bottom of the post.)  Who doesn't add some kind of cream of some kind of soup or another to their current recipes.  It's a quick, creamy recipe fix'er upper.  It's ingenious.  Well, it was until I found this bad boy...  It's so simple.  It calls for Dry Non-fat Milk that I found to be a bit pricey, or more than I expected anyway.  I only found it sold in larger quantities so that may be part of the problem.  After I bought some, I found it cheaper at another store so I guess it pays to shop around.  =)  Try it, you'll like it! 

Ingredients
1 c Dry Non-fat Milk
3/4 c Cornstarch
1 T Minced Onion
1 t Parsley Flakes
1 t Ground Black Pepper
2 T Bouillon (flavor of choice)

Directions
Add 1/3 cup of mix and 1 cup water for each Cream of Some Soup. 

My New Spin:
-Make up the recipe without the bouillon. 
-Add 1/3 cup of mix, 1 Tablespoon of bouillon (flavor of choice) and 1 cup of water for each Cream of Some Soup needed.

Note that this is more that the original 2 T in the full mix but who doesn't like a bit of extra flavor? This allows you to only make up one mix and use it for everything!  I made up a batch and keep in the cabinet so I have it handy when I need it.

Source:  1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com

2013 Memory Jar

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Love this idea that I saw at celebrations.com.  Write down memories and keep them stashed in this memory jar and read them with the family on New Year's Eve.  I can't wait until next New Year's Eve to read them!  I decorated our jar with vinyl cut using my Silhouette.  

Click Read More for How I Did It...

Kid-Made Ornament Display (using a hidden tension rod)

I have a hidden tension rod above the kitchen sink that I am using to display my beloved Steel-made Christmas ornaments.  I hung the ornaments with ribbon. 

UV Protected Yard Sign

Fun Tip:  Protect your ward decorations with a Clear UV Protector.  I used Krylon Fusion for Plastics.  It adheres to multiple surfaces.  I'm hoping to protect my new sign from the sun's damaging and fading rays.  

Whole House Air Freshener

Whole House Air Freshener:

Pour some vanilla extract into a coffee cup, place in oven at 300F for an hour or so.

Steel told me he wanted to eat what I was making!  I felt so bad that there wasn't any goodies in the oven that he could enjoy.

My inspiration:  lifehacker.com

Heart Shaped Bacon

Too cute.  Perfect for BLTs, add a few for bacon in every bite!  

How To:

1.  Take a strip of bacon.

2.  Fold in half length-wise.

3.  Fold one end down making a point.

4.  Fold ends up to make a point above the first point.  (Picture right side up, after folding.)

5.  Bake at 350F on a cookie sheet for approximately 20 minutes.

Inspiration:  http://thepapermama.com

House Warming Gift Bucket

House Warming Gift Idea...
I filled a bucket with lots of household items that are sure to be needed some day.

Items:
Light Bulbs
Sponges
Air Freshener Spray
Air Freshener Beads
Batteries
Hand Towels
Dish Towels
Laundry Stain Spray
Glass Cleaner
Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Carpet Cleaner
Magic Eraser
Lysol Wipes
Extension Cord
Power Strip
Scrub Brush
Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablet
Outlet Covers
Dawn Dish Soap

Magical Grease Stain Remover

Q:  What is worse than grease stains?
A:  Grease stains that have been through the dryer!

Ahhh, not so fast!  I was surfing around one night and came across a post from Elementary Organization where she was talking about using baking soda.  I figured it was worth a shot since my sweatshirt was basically ruined.  I read on and found several people had commented and suggested using Dawn dishwashing liquid.  Well, that sounds even better to me.   I had some of that under the sink!!!

I tired it...

After the washer and dryer...

Wow-ness!  

Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

I finally finished up my box of dishwasher detergent and it was time to make my own.  I found several recipes floating around with slight variations.  I can say that this works great for me.  I use the borax and washing soda for my own laundry soap and had some epsom salt on hand for garden use.  I just needed to grab some Lemi Shine.  I found it in the same aisle as my borax and washing soda.

Recipe
2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Super Washing Soda
2 cups of Lemi Shine
1 cup of Epsom Salt

Directions
Add 2 T of mixture for each load of dishes.

I wrote the recipe on the old dishwasher detergent container that I used to store my new concoction so I would have it on hand as needed.

Memory Jar

I found this great jar at Hobby Lobby for 50% off.  You just can't go wrong with a Giant Mason Jar for under $10.  If you patiently watch and wait for Hobby Lobby weekly sales.  They rotate when certain items are 50% off.  This was part of the 50% off glassware weekly sale.  It pays to be patient and wait for the sale!  Yes, Hobby Lobby has the 40% off weekly coupon, but it is for only one item and their weekly sales are several different departments in a week.

I decided to use this as my Memory Jar.  I still have more items to add to it currently but I need to round up my items.  I'm not following a certain theme for this jar but should be in the future.  I am already thinking of an offspring such as a jar of all Steel's sports picture key chains since I already have 4 of them and Steel is only 6!

Currently my Memory Jar consists of:
Sports Picture Key Chains
Other Key Chains from trips
Key Chains with keys from past homes
My mother's occasion pins
My mother's passport, she loved traveling
Little trinkets I was given as gifts
My Girl Scout Pin

I'm still rounding up items but the jar is in working order!  

Think of the possibilities...
Souvenirs from your travels such as key chains or magnets
Foreign Coins
Ticket Stubs
Shells or Rocks
Wedding or Shower Favors
Funeral Memorial Prayer Cards

Empty out your junk drawers, there's tons of stuff that you have no where to put but you just can't seem to throw away!!!!

Make Your Own Laundry Soap - Dry Version

I prefer this to the liquid version.  It is much easier to make and lasts much longer.  And you don't have to worry about the temperature of the water and the gelling of the soap, etc.  I made several batches of the liquid and each turned out a bit different in consistency, it was quite puzzling.

I have a front loading washer that has a drawer to pull out to fill with detergent and I thought that I could only add liquid soap.  I was wrong.  A friend told me that she used dry in front loader's soap drawer and the game was on!  I absolutely love this soap and it's so cheap.  I haven't bothered to figure out the savings but I have yet to buy more of any of the ingredients and I've been making my own soap for 4 months.  All of the ingredients totaled less than $10 and I have made 3 batches of liquid and 1 batch of the dry.  That's good enough for me!

See liquid version post here.



Ingredients
1 bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 1/2 cup Borax
1 1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 1/2 cup OxiClean
(All ingredients were purchased at Walmart in the detergent aisle and conveniently located next to each other.)

 

How I Did It

1.  I chopped the bar of fels naptha into small-ish pieces with a butter knife.  It chopped easily.  I placed the pieces, along with 1/2 cup of borax into my Magic Bullet and chopped it up.  The borax kept the soap from sticking to the blade.  (I, actually, separated this into three small batches since the whole batch wouldn't fix in my magic bullet.)  

                                   

                                   

2.  I added my chopped soap into an empty (and washed) ice cream tub and added the remaining ingredients.

3.  I secured the lid on the ice cream tub and shook it until I was satisfied that my ingredients were good and mixed.

4.  I add 2 Tbsp. to each load.

I prefer this to the liquid version.  It is much easier to make and lasts much longer.

I have a front loading washer that has a drawer to pull out to fill with detergent and I thought that I could only add liquid soap.  I was wrong.  A friend told me that she used dry in front loader's soap drawer and the game was on!

See liquid version post here.

Vanilla Scented Painting

I am pretty used to the smell of paint (I work with it). The fumes still get to me from time to time, especially when closed up indoors for hours (painting).

I just got this great tip from a neighbor...

Add several drops of vanilla extract to your gallon of paint to mask the head-aching paint fumes.  It's that easy folks!  Give it a whirl!

Vanilla scent or no vanilla scent, I cannot wait until this house is painted!  =)

Waxed Stove Top

 

This is one of those...Why didn't I think of that...ideas!

Wax your freshly scrubbed clean stove top so that your next cleaning won't require the scrubbing!  What a great idea!  Done!

Source:  http://diyhshp.blogspot.com

The Great Peanut Butter Fix

You will not believe this...

You're waxing your car and you get some unsightly wax on the black trim!  Well, you can take a trip to the Automotive Specialty store and throw back $13 for a bottle of Wizard's Black Renew...or...you can bust out the peanut butter out of your cupboard!  Yep, Peanut Butter!  I was just as shocked as you are now when I heard this tip from an Automotive Detailer at the neighbors house a couple weekend ago.  I haven't given it a try for myself but I am taking her word for it.  If you bust out the Peanut Butter before I do, I would love to hear how you it performs!

Clean Microwave with Water and Vinegar

1.  Place a bowl in the dirty microwave with equal (-ish) parts of water and vinegar in microwave.

2.  Turn mircowave on for approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds, times may vary.

3.  Use a sponge to wipe out.

Works great on those stuck on, caked on messes!

Disinfect Sponge in the Microwave

For those sponges that are still in great shape but you are wondering about may be lurking in the pores...

1.  Get questionable sponge wet.

2.  Slightly wring out but leave half the water in the sponge.

3.  Place in microwave and heat for approximately 1 minute.

4.  Remove sponge with caution as it will be VERY hot.

5.  Wring out once cooled enough to handle.

Your sponge has new life!

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven

I saw this great idea at http://greetingsfromtheasylum.blogspot.com:
Make your hard boiled eggs in the oven!

Click Read More for details

Hanging Eggs

I had leftover painted paper mache eggs, that Steel painted for me for my Easter Wreath and I decided to hang from my hidden tension rod.  I made a loop out of ribbon, tied extra ribbon at the base and hot glued it to the top of the eggs.  I hung them on my hidden tension rod that I have above our kitchen sink.