Monday: Use a Scrapbook to Boost Your Child's Self Esteem

I don't support the whole idea of "everyone's a winner, everyone is special, and we need every color of the rainbow to work together!" While I believe that these ideas have stemmed from a good place, the whole idea is a bit much for me. Our children will, some day, have to hit the harsh streets of reality, where not everyone adores them, plays to their whims, and thinks that they are amazing.

However.

I want my children to know that, regardless of how difficult the real world may be, to me, always, they are the best thing in the universe.

That said, I think it is important that your children know that their mother thinks they are strong, pretty, confident, and wonderful. One easy way to do that is through scrapbooking. The whole purpose of a scrapbook is to single out your child and every special thing they do. Fun parties? Yes. Awards in school? Of course! Drawings, doodles, and everything that is special to them? Naturally.

By cataloging every special thing that your child does in their life, their scrapbook becomes a book of achievements, somewhere that they can always turn to see what they have accomplished and, of course, that their mother thinks the world of them.

My mother kept a diligent scrapbook of me and, aside from some severely odd pictures from my awkward chicken stage, it really has been fun for me to peruse them over the years, sharing them with friends, boyfriends, and eventually my husband. I think, too, that it will be fun for my own children to trek through their pages and see what their mother was like.

Personally, I cannot abide the work, toil, and drudgery of adorable scrapbook pages. That's ok. What I CAN do, however, are online books (like the kind that Wal-Greens and Shutterfly do). You upload pictures and these super user-friendly websites give you all kinds of options to decorate them. That is something I can do. Save up pictures on my computer, and keep ribbons/certificates/awards and, at the end of each year, compile the pictures onto one of these books (leaving some pages blank so that I can paste the various awards into them) and have them printed. Yes, it isn't as creative as my mother's scrapbooks of yore, but each book I make is special, unique, and all about my precious baby girl.



Smashbook!

Find out what works for you. Keepsake boxes filled with photos and various special items. Smashbooks. Online-created printable books (like me!). Traditional scrapbooks. Whatever you choose, stick to it, and continuously create them for your children as a memorandum that their mama does, indeed, think they are the best thing in the universe.

Create it so that your children will have a safe place to retreat when life isn't pure peaches, somewhere that they can spend time and see the good that they are.

Friday: DIY Minnie Mouse Baby Onesie

Here's a nice close-up

Oh, who's the king of fabric painting? Oh, yes, it's me. Here's another sweet fabric paint idea (yes, these ARE the same paints and brushes I used in my I Heart Peeta T-shirt and my DIY Baby Bikini Onesie). The methodology is very similar, too, but I added a coordinating headband to this one. I think you know why....

 DRESS

Materials
*1 small piece of black felt
*1 white baby onesie
*1 bottle of red fabric paint
*1 bottle of white fabric paint
*Foam paint brush
*Masking tape


Step 1:
Using your masking tape, outline the shape of a basic dress on your white onesie. You can see the form I used (to do the curved section, just use lots of very small pieces of masking tape and angle each one slightly). Make sure that the tape is VERY securely attached.

Step 2:
Paint the inside of your dress shape using the red paint; allow to dry (3-5 hours, or until dry to the touch)

Step :
Peel off the paint form. Dip the end of your paint brush into the white paint and make polka dots all over the dress form. Next, using the same motion, make a 'lace' top, bottom, and belt to the dress by connected the dots together. Allow to dry. (3-5 hours or until dry to the touch).

Step 4:
Cut a small, basic Mickey Mouse form out of the black felt and attach it to one of the top corners of the 'dress' on the onesie, either by securing it with a few stitches, or by hot-gluing it on.

Your Minnie Mouse onesie is DONE! Now, let's make that headband!

HEADBAND

Materials
*Black stretch headband
*Red, black thread and needle
*1 small piece of black felt
*1 small piece of red felt
*1 bottle of white fabric paint
*Foam paint brush


Step 1:
Cut two ear-shaped pieces of fabric. (I found it was easiest to fold the felt in half, cut a circle [by cutting a half circle and unfolding it), then cuting an extra slice of the bottom to give them this shape). Fold the bottom slightly in half to create a cupped ear look, and then sew the bottom onto the headband, making them look like ears.

Step 2:
Cut out a small bow-shaped piece of red felt.  Dot it with white paint using the bottom of the paint brush to make polka dots. Allow to dry 3-4 hours, then stitch it onto the base of one of the ears.



Voila! An adorable Minnie Mouse outfit. Take your little girl to Disneyland wearing it. ;)

Thursday: DIY Homemade Twix Bars

Are you ready to break your diet? Or planning to reward yourself for something? Then prepare your sweet-tooth for a treat.




Cookie (shortbread) Ingredients
*1 cup butter/margarine, softened (either by 15-20 seconds in the microwave or by being left out
until room temperature)
*3/4 cup powdered sugar
*1 Tbs vanilla
*2 1/2 cups flour

-Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Next, add 1/2 cup flour at a time until the mixture is dry and crumbly (and delicious- this is a good time to eat a piece of the dough... yum).
-Press the dough into a greased pan- you'll want the dough to be about 1/2 inch thick. Next, poke the crust with fork.
-Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the outer edges are caramel brown and the middle is a golden brown. 

While this is baking.... Make the caramel!

Caramel Ingredients
*1/2 cup butter
*1 cup light corn syrup
*2 cups brown sugar
*1 can sweetened condensed milk
*1 Tbs vanilla


-Mix the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a stove pan over medium until fully combined. Next, add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
-Turn the heat up to medium-high and mix continuously until the caramel is at soft ball stage. (Keep a bowl of cold water by the caramel as you are mixing it and every few minutes, spoon a little into the cold water. When you put the caramel into the cold water and the caramel is basically a soft piece of caramel, it's done.)
-Pour the caramel mix over the top of the shortbread cookie that you have just pulled out of the oven, about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.
-Allow to cool.

Chocolate Ingredients
*1 16oz bag of chocolate chips
*2-3 Tb vegetable oil

-Melt the chocolate either in a double broiler or in the microwave (by putting it in a microwave safe dish and putting it in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time and then stopping it and stirring it).
-Once melted, add the oil and spread the whole mixture over the cooled caramel/cookie and let the entire thing cool.

Cut. Enjoy! I recommend small pieces.... these are crazy rich, after all. It's tough to handle a big piece. Also, when cutting, it can help to keep your knife in hot water right before you cut through, because it takes some strength to cut these up!

Wednesday: Lessons from Disney 4

Cause all pretty people are nice. ;) Oh, Cinderella....

Need MORE Lessons from Disney? 

Lessons from Disney 1

 Lessons from Disney 2

Lessons from Disney 3

Wednesday: Lessons from Disney 3

"One love, I have only one love, one love, only for you....." Yuuuup. You know you've already fallen for him, Snow White.
Need MORE Lessons from Disney?
Lessons from Disney 1
Lessons from Disney 2
Lessons from Disney 4

Wednesday: Lessons from Disney 2

"I'm 16- I'm not a child!" Of course. You're ready to go find the human of your dreams, Ariel.
 Need MORE Lessons from Disney?
Lessons from Disney 1
Lessons from Disney 3
Lessons from Disney 4

Wednesday: Lessons from Disney 1

Don't talk to a strange man, Sleeping Beauty. Oh, wait. He's a babe. It's ok.


Need MORE Lessons from Disney?
 Lessons from Disney 2
Lessons from Disney 3
Lessons from Disney 4
 

Tuesday: 5 Tips to Help You STRETCH Your Beauty Budget

I was shopping with a friend today and she asked an all-too-vexing question. "Why is everything for the bathroom so expensive? Makeup, shampoo, razors, soap- why does it cost so much just to look decent?!" The answer, of course, is that we care! If we didn't care about being clean, pretty, and put-together, these products would cost only pennies! For those of us who can't give up our sanitary practices, however, here are a few ways to s - t - r - e - t - c - h your money!

(PS- I know that I am discussing products I like here, but for the record, these really are products at home in my cupboards that I buy and love- I am getting absolutely NO compensation to share them, other than a happy feeling because I get to share some stuff that works for me)

1. Buy Foaming Hand Wash. Soap really is essentially an emollient that is used to remove surface dirt and impurities. Buy a foaming hand wash and when the hand wash has run its course, re-fill the foaming dispenser with a mixture of one part liquid soap and three parts water. There will still be enough soap in what is pumped onto your hand to clean you up, and not only will you stretch your soap (think, it's like four for the price of one!), it will cut down on the amount of plastic bottles you buy AND throw away- keeping just a little bit more garbage out of landfills.

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My coupon for next time..

2. Sally Hansen Wax Strips. I have been using these for years and am more than a little obsessed. The package costs about $5, but has a $1 off coupon inside, making your next purchase only $4. They are incredibly easy to use. Just warm them in your hands and cut to fit the size of your eyebrows, and pull off! They even include a soothing oil to apply to your eyebrows afterwards that both calms your skin and removes excess wax. The package contains many different sizes, but if you just use scissors to cut them to size, you are looking at literally dozens of eyebrow waxing sessions. Which, of course, means that instead of spending $8-$20 for a SINGLE treatment at a salon, you can do it at home. Dozens of time. It makes each treatment about .10 or so- a bargain in my eyes!



3. Nu Skin's Glacial Marine Mud Mask. This is a fantastic mask, don't get me wrong, but it also makes an unbeatable acne treatment! Just apply a dot to wherever you have a blemish, and allow it to dry for 15 min- 60 min (depending on how sensitive your skin is). Wash it away and enjoy a short-lived pimple! One bottle will last for literally THOUSANDS of treatments. Which, of course, makes it less than a cent each time you use it. (I was blessed to work for Nu Skin and so got this product for free.... it will be YEARS before I have to buy another bottle!)

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My well-loved bottle

4. Jergen's Natural Glow Moisturizer. Mmmhmm! I don't know if I can say enough good things about this product! Apply it like a regular lotion after the shower, wash your hands, and let it dry into your skin and get dressed. It gives you a natural looking tan color that comes gradually and I have not ever gotten weird streaks or anything of the kind in the years I have used it. One bottle is about $8 and in my experience, will last through about 10-12 treatments (meaning using it all over the legs, arms and tummy- but never my chest- doesn't do so well there). That means you can darken your skin 10-12 times for the cost of one tanning session- not to mention the benefits of not giving yourself cancer.



5. White-Tip French Manicures. Those who know me know that I looooove french tipped toes! Adore them. What I don't adore, however, is $25-$40 to get an awesome tipping job done to my toes at a salon. (I do love the salon- just not the price, lol.) Instead, I buy three bottles of $1 nail polish-

*white
*creamy nude
*clear
and a package of round stickers. (This time, I used the letter 'o', lol.) Using the stickers as a guide on your fingers/toes, I put on the white, allow it to dry, then apply the creamy nude and clear on top. Yay! For less than a few dollars, I get to have French-tipped toes for months! And, honestly, years- I've had some of my nail polish for a while....

BONUS TIP! Lemon Juice Lightening. Ok. Bleaching and coloring your hair is damaging. We get it. I just happen to know that I was meant to be a born blond, but something went wrong- so I allow my hair to be the color it was intended to be.

Blond, that is.

And I will spring the money to get it done in the salon. However, every once in a while, to touch-up my hair, I will apply lemon juice using a spray bottle and blow dry my hair. The lemon juice and heat react to lighten your hair and ends up looking much the way your hair looks after spending time at the beach regularly- the whole beach-blond thing. Repeat as needed over the next few days to get your desired shade. Keep in mind that I said every once in a while, not every time.

STILL not satisfied? Check out DIY Blush for another way to save on beauty products!

Monday: 5 Healthy Ways to Handle a Crying Child

We love our children and our little babies, but sometimes when they are crying, it's just a hard knock life for us! There are a lot of ways to handle your children screaming, fussing, and crying, but some methods are definitely superior to others. Today's article for Moms is about 5 ways that you can deal with your children's crying- but not lose your cool.

1. When your baby or toddler stumbles and falls, don't flip out.
Your chidlren will fall as learn to explore their world-it is going to happen- and if you gasp, sigh, or put a surprised expression on your face, your children will adopt the same attitude about their fall, and then they will begin to associate falling with fear and sadness. If, however, you keep your cool and even laugh or say silly things after a fall, your little one may fuss a little from the bump they caused themselves, but they won't be afraid.

2. Don't treat fussing like crying.
I'm sure that after a few months of caring for your child, you've begun to distinguish their fussing from their crying. Crying is a plea for help, an expression of sadness, and generally your child's way of telling you they need something. Address their needs as required- but allow them to fuss a little. If you jump and run to their beck and call for every fussy sigh that escapes their mouth, you will

a) teach them that a small whine is all it takes for you to run to them and will be lost when you aren't there

b) run yourself ragged trying to fix things that really are nothing more than a squeal of baby frustration.

3. Don't stress about public crying.
Even if not everyone at the store or movie has had a child, they have all been  a child and most people are really not excessively bothered by fussing babies. Most situations will garner sympathy for you. If, however, you stress about being embarrassed and inconveniencing others too much, you will do anything to keep your child calm- including enforcing an attitude in your children that fussing in public will get them whatever they want from you. Start early and avoid dramatic future tantrums. ;)

4. Know when to walk away.
 There will be times where your child's crying will frustrate, annoy, and drive you to distraction. Yes, feed and rock your child, yes, answer their pleas for help: but there comes a time when a parent's patience is spent. Those are the times to walk away. Put your child in a safe place, make sure they are few, changed, and not too hot or cold- and then walk away, taking a deep breath. It is both better for your sanity and the well being of your child.

5. Monitor your thoughts.
Your inner attitude about your child's fussing and crying will make all the difference in how you treat your children. Think of the difference between these scenarios.

That boy! I have fed him, changed him, rocked him, sang to him, took him on a walk, bounced him- why won't he just stop crying! I don't know what to do anymore!

and

That poor boy!  I have fed him, changed him, rocked him, sang to him, took him on a walk, bounced him- and he won't stop crying! Poor baby boy- he needs something and doesn't know how to tell me what it is!
 
One will drive you to an anger you never want to feel towards your child and the other will lead to patience and sympathy. Remember, your thoughts regulate your actions- make sure that your thoughts are in keeping with the kind of mother you want to be and your actions will follow.


Best of luck to you as you keep on loving' your babies and giving them the best you have!

Thursday: Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins- 3 Ingredients and Delicious

I confess. I like to bake almost more than I like to eat what I've made. There have been countless times where I will bake something to bake something, having no desire to even eat the dessert I spent hours on. This is normally my attitude with muffins. I like to make sugar-crusted top, delicious muffins.... and then give them to someone else.

This time, however, even I could not resist the appeal of these pumpkin butterscotch muffins. The butterscotch chips in them melt, then get crispy on top- wow. They are delish. As they are basically a modification of my earlier 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, there really isn't much to it.

Ingredients
1 box of spice cake mix
1 bag of butterscotch chips
1 small can of pumpkin (or half of a big can- about 15 ounces)


Mix these three together with a wooden spoon, then spoon into a lined muffin tin. (word to the wise, follow my aluminum foil tips to protect your pan and make it easier to clean up). Because your mix won't rise/expand, fill your muffin cups to the top. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Then all that is left for you is to enjoy them!

Tuesday: How to Use Aluminum Foil- in 10 Different, Handy Ways!

I'll bet you never knew that the few bucks you spent on your aluminum foil would end up doing much more than wrapping potatoes in the oven. Read this fun list and you'll learn what a truly handy tool aluminum foil can be!




1. Polish Your Tarnished Silver If you don't feel the urge to rub polish all over your tarnished silver, use aluminum foil for an ion exchange! Line a pan with aluminum foil, fill it with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Then, drop your tarnished silver into the solution. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then rinse and dry. Easy-Cheesy!




2. Scrub Your Pans Missing a metal scrubber in your kitchen? Skip the run to the store and crumple up a piece of aluminum foil instead to become your pot scrubber!




3. Soften Brown Sugar I love this tip. Wrap your dried out brown sugar in a piece of aluminum foil, put it in the oven for five minutes at 350. Wallah! Soft like new!




4. Protection in Painting Because aluminum foil can easily be used to fit the shape of nearly any object, use it when you paint your home to cover doorknobs, hinges, and handles- saving you the work of trying to remove them when refurbishing a room




5. Wait. MORE Protection in Painting When pulling out your painting equipment, line the paint pan with a sheet of foil and YOU won’t have to waste about one million gallons of water trying to rinse it clean for future uses!




6. Dryer Sheet This is another surprising use. (just get used to the surprising uses of foil!) Crumple up a few inches of foil and throw it into your dryer when you dry your clothes. It works to fight static cling!




7. Makeshift Funnel If you ever find yourself in need of a funnel but don’t have one handy, simply mold one with aluminum foil to transfer your liquids from one container to another and you're good to go!

Covered, hole punched, muffin cup!

8. Muffin Tin Liner Do you find that you hate scrubbing out your muffin tins? Wait- so do I! To prevent the scrubbing BEFORE you make muffins, simply cover the top of your muffin tin in foil, punch holes where your muffins go, and put your muffin cups into their usual places. Then, as you get drips and drops on your pan, you know that clean-up will be as easy as crumpling aluminum foil!




9. Clean Your Iron You’ve been ironing a lot- good job! But now the bottom of your iron is so gross that you think you  might need a new one! Clean it up by running your hot iron over  a piece of aluminum. Boom. Done.




10. (most fun) Cooking in Your Engine You might have heard of it before and dismissed it- the idea may seem so foreign. But, using aluminum foil, some wire, and your car, countless dishes can be created while you drive! Don’t worry- these packets of food, triple wrapped in heavy duty foil, contain no odd flavors or dangerous effects from your car engine. Think, if you will, about a dirty oven. Covered in spills, burned on for who knows how long, wrap a potato in foil to bake it and there will be no adverse problems with your potato. It’s fun to do!  Interested? Check out “Manifold Destiny”, by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller, who have concocted a whole book full of recipes to be cooked in your engine while driving and, rather than cooking in minutes or hours, times their recipes with miles driven. I’ll be putting together a list of my own engine delights next week- so check back for exciting adventures!

Looking for MORE ways to use aluminum foil? Check out How to Keep Your Lettuce Fresh

The Egyptian Flu....

Just for kicks... Not that I really care that Adel's pregant or anything, but I do love a good corny joke.

Wednesday: Happy Fourth of July! I Mean, Thanks to Our Founding Fathers, It Is

America, I love you and I try to make good use of my freedom to respect what so many have given me.

Tuesday: How to Keep Your Lettuce Fresh in the Fridge

This is a tip shared with me by a dear friend of mine (you know who you are!) on how to keep your lettuce fresh for weeks at a time. Simple and effective. What more do you need?

Simply line a plastic container with aluminum foil, then cover the top of the container with aluminum foil, and finish it by putting the container's lid on. Shazam. Keeps your lettuce fresh in the fridge far longer than just a plastic baggie or zip container.

Maybe I should buy some lettuce, put some in a foil lined container, and then keep the other one in a plastic bag like normal and compare? I'll post pictures later! Looking for MORE ways to use aluminum foil? Check out Top 10 Uses for Aluminum Foil!

Extras: Perfect Hamburger Patties Using Mason Jar Lid

About time for another extra easy post, wouldn't you say? Well, how about using a mason jar lid for perfect hamburger patties? Use the regular size for small patties and wide mouth lids for larger patties. Just make sure that the lid is clean, then form the patty by pressing it into the mason jar lid form and then removing it. Boom. Perfect patties that will cook evenly and all be finished at the same time- no more burned patties while others are not cooked through. Love it.

Monday: Morning Sickness Relief and Cures

Hooray! You're a new mommy-to-be! Or, maybe you are working on number 2. Whatever the case may be, you are pregnant and sick. Depending on your luck (and hormones), morning sickness may be mild nausea- or gut wrenching vomit every hour on the hour. No matter the category you may fall into during your pregnancy, it's not a party. So, to help alleviate your morning sickness, here is a list of remedies for mild, medium, and intense nausea.








Mild Morning Sickness
Sea bands. Sea bands are basically stretch wristbands with a hard piece of plastic that is placed in the center of the wrist that is used as a pressure point. You can buy them anywhere from $5-$20, depending on where you shop. This is the official Sea Band website, should you be interested. Sea Bands

Preggie Pops. Definitely only for mild nausea. These little fruit flavored candies are infused with ginger. A combination of the constant saliva being swallowed along with the ginger calms an upset stomach. They aren't cheap candies, though, and a package will be $10-$20. (But, hey, when you're desperate for relief....) Preggie Pops on Amazon
Ginger Ale. Same active ingredient as preggie pops to soothe your tummy, plus the added bonus of carbonation, another way to fight the churning. Available at pretty much every grocery store, .50-$3.

Ginger Tea. Again, that ginger does work for mild nausea, helping to relieve morning sickness. Available at pretty much every grocery store, $2-$10.

Moderate Morning Sickness
Snackies. This is not so much a product as it is a lifestyle change. Keep fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers, whatever small, portable foods you like, and munch all day long. Very few things will intensify your morning sickness like an empty stomach- so keep food in your stomach at all times. It can be hard to stomach an entire meal, but small bites of food all day will help keep your nausea in check.

Eating in Bed. Before you get out of bed each morning, munch on crackers, milk, or juice. Stay in bed for about 20 minutes and make sure that you are munching on something. Then, when you get out of bed, you'll be much more likely to be able to endure the day.
Sleep in. Sleep as long in the morning as possible. If you get out of bed at 6 am, your morning sickness is likely to be more intense all day long. If you can sleep in until 9am or 10am, it can often help your body be less prone to nausea for the rest of the day. Having a hard time justifying sleeping in that long? Keep in mind that you'll be getting a lot more done each day if you aren't on the verge of tossing your cookies every five minutes.

Intense Morning Sickness

1/2 Unisom + Vitamin B. Have you tried every other remedy and it's still just not doing much? Take 1/2 Unisom tablet (sleeping aid) along with a vitamin B tablet. If taken right before you go to sleep, you should be able to wake up feeling far less nauseous and, thanks to the sleeping agent, probably have a better sleep, too. You can take these together during the day, but be prepared to feel extremely groggy. Unisom is available without a prescription at most pharmacies.

Prescription Medication. Go to your doctor. Explain that nothing is working for your nausea. They will be able to prescribe something that fits your situation to alleviate the unpleasantness of spending your time on your knees in front of the porcelain throne.

Is nothing working? No? I'm sorry to say, sometimes, try what you will, there isn't complete relief for morning sickness. Try to comfort yourself with knowing that it will be over eventually- and that in return, you'll get a beautiful baby.


Plus, I hear that the more morning sickness you have from pregnancy, the better behaved that baby is during their teen years... Karma?

Friday: Upcycle Old Lace and Broken Picture into a DIY Monthly Calender

This is a great way to repurpose a few old things you might have lying around- like a broken picture or some lace. Which I had. This picture here was a framed posted but no glass- if you have a picture where the glass has broken out, this would be a good use for it. First, pick a base color you like and paint the entire inside of the picture. Second, Cover the frame of the picture with painters tape to protect it, because...Third, you need to tape on a piece of old lace. Fourth, spray paint the entire picture lightly, then remove the lace and position a piece here and there, spray painting a little more each time, until you achieve the exact look of stenciled lace that you want. Fifth, place a few colored squares of paper onto your board using painters tape (so they can be removed without damaging the background). Get creative. I used a few for pictures and then one large piece for a calender. Sixth, print out a calender and get a few pictures together. Again, using the painter's tape, attach a few photos and a calender. Seventh. Guess what? You're all done! Not too tough now, is it? And since you used painter's tape on the photos and calender, you can switch them out as desired from time to time. I put a larger photo of the finished product at the bottom of this post so you can see it better. I was really pleased with how this turned out, especially since it saved me a small bundle in purchasing my own wall calender for my fam! (And I for SURE need a calender to remember everything in life!)

Thursday: Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Butter

This Texas Roadhouse cinnamon butter recipe is simple and, like most things made up entirely of sugar and butter, absolutely delicious. Perfect with hot rolls and white bread (like I was making today....)

Ingredients
1 cup butter (softened, room temperature)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp cinnamon


Whip the butter using an electric mixer and, when fluffy, add in the sugar, honey, and cinnamon. You can use it right away, or store it in the refrigerator for later use. Mmmmmm. Yum!

Don't you just wanna eat it?

Wednesday: DIY OxyClean at Home!

This DIY OxyClean is inexpensive, works well, and is simple. It is definitely something that, once you know it, you'll want to continue using it for the rest of your life. It is especially perfect for whitening without bleach when you need to whiten a delicate fabric that you wouldn't dare to bleach with any kind of harsh chemicals. It is a very gentle cleaner for stains, too. There are two ways to use it and only two ingredients.

*Hydrogen peroxide
*Baking soda

For spot cleaning, mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda together until they have a paste-like consistency and then apply it to the area you want cleaned/whitened. Scrub it into the fabric with a sponge or cloth, then rinse with water once it's cleaned.

For INTENSIVE cleaning action, mix 1 baking soda with 3 parts hydrogen peroxide (enough to cover the article of clothing you want to clean/whiten) in a pan on the stove over medium high heat.

Boil the clothing in this mixture, stirring often to prevent the bubbles from boiling over. Continue to stir until the fabric is white/stains are gone, etc. Then, wash the clothing as normal.

For my example, I used the boiling method on a piece of antique lace that had yellowed. In the picture (kinda hard to tell), I put it next to another piece of antique lace that was the same color it had been, so that you could get kind of a before-after view of it. I was very, VERY pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. Honestly, I'd say this DIY is better than Oxy Clean. I already have a big batch of un-cleanable stained clothes ready to go for round of boiling clean!




UPDATE
Used the paste form on my laundry today. I just mixed the soda and peroxide until paste-like, then used my hands (use gloves, I would say) to massage it into the cloth. I let it sit about an hour or so, then washed it like normal. If it seemed like the it became dried out or too powdery, I'd squirt some more peroxide right on the clothes.

Enjoy the before and afters!

Dirt on the back of my shirt from playing in the grass outside

Raspberries on my baby's onesie (and yes, this is the DIY baby onesie bikini-
I have to say, it washes really well and looks awesome even after months of use!)
DIY Baby Onesie Bikini

Sorry for the weird angle- these two spots were in my shirt for months- you
can see one is gone completely, while the other one is smaller and faded. I
think if I do it again but let it sit a few hours longer, it will take out the second one.
I hope, at least!

Tuesday: How to Clean a Greasy, Dirty, Caked on Pan WITHOUT Crazy Chemicals or Tough Scrubbing

Wanted to show it half done..

My before

This is easy. Unbelievably easy. I took pictures as my proof- but you'll have to try it at home to know for sure yourself.

All you have to do is cover the dirty part of the pan with water and a squirt of dish soap. Then, put your pan on the stove and turn the heat up until the water is boiling. Let it boil for a few minutes but make sure that the water doesn't all evaporate out. Then, dump out the boiling water and use a soapy sponge or dish cloth to wash the entire thing clean.

So easy to remove what used to be crusted on food. For my example, I used a pan that I cooked bacon in the night before, so mine was caked on greasey-grossy.

Keep in mind, you only need a squirt of dish soap, a little water, and a soft cloth!