Once Upon A Time....

Sit down little children and let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a beautiful, smart, funny, adorable, charming, wonderful, lovely...uhm...modest Queen. She lived with a handsome, charming King and a darling, sweet tiny little munchkin tornado in a quaint little modular home.

The Queen lived a wonderful life and adapted very easily into her role of a stay at home munchkin tornado wrangler. She adapted so well that she rarely had any clothes piled up or crumbs on the floor, and she did this all without the help of little singing pudgy mice.

The Queen only had one little hangup and that was the small habit of leaving things in her oven overnight to finish drying. It really hadn't been a problem before. She simply put dishes in the automatic dishwasher and whatever was left was cleaned by hand and stuck in the oven to dry. The next day she awoke to clean, dry dishes ready to be put up in their places. This system worked well for the Queen and all the people in the land of modular homes were happy.

At least until the King decided to make breakfast one morning and turned the oven on to 400 degrees ( without checking it for dishes) and let that puppy go.

The King had turned his back to the oven to begin making biscuits when flames began rolling out from the oven. The Queen awoke to the wonderful sounds of their smoke alarms blaring. She raced to the kitchen in time to see her husband put out the fire and race past her holding an oven rack covered with the melted white goo of plastic.

The Queen despite all odds broke into a hysterical laughing fit...until she saw the king's face. The king wavered from happiness because they were all alive and still able to live in their little modular home and wanting to strangle the lovely yet apparently forgetful Queen.

As the black soot settled on the counter tops (and fridge, sink, cabinets, pantry...really...I could go on..) the Queen vowed to never leave anything in the oven ever again and took the family out to a nice breakfast at the royal International House Of Pancakes.

So dear children if you find yourself visiting a friend's home and see the charred and gooey ( now hard as a brick) remains of plastic melted onto an oven rack on your friend's front porch try not to judge because one day it just might be you who almost burned the kingdom to the ground.

Damn plastic bowl....

New Years Printables Roundup

I realized that I never made a post featuring my favorite December printables and for that....I am so sorry. I will totally do it next year..maybe...unless it gets super busy. Sorry. I figured that I could make it up to you though by featuring January's really early! Did it make up for it? No? How about this?

I told you I had a problem...

Anyways, let's begin with the subway art shall we? 

1. Eighteen25
This is one of the pieces on my entertainment center and I adore it. I think the fonts are just perfect. 








2. Down This Road Designs
This is the matching piece to the first one that I have on my entertainment center. I was SO excited to find this one because seriously...look how great they look together!







3. Create With TLC
This is a really gorgeous one that is a little bit different than your average subway art. I love how she changed up the background and used it on cards, SO pretty!








4. The 36th Avenue
This is SUCH a beautiful, bright color scheme, I love it!I adore the pops of teal color!








 5. How To Nest For Less
I love the elegant and simple wording of this one, plus they have lots of different color schemes to chose from!

Other great printables: 

 

 

1. A Night Owl

I immediately fell in love with this printable. Check out her site to get it plus two other adorable designs!

2. Betty Crocker Wannabe

Anything with a crown and I am in. Seriously...I love this one.

3. Michaels Store Pinterest Page

I LOVE how creative they were when they were making these. There is also a painting one and a looming one, check them out!

Calendars: 

 

1. Makn The Rounds Pinterest Board 

I LOVE this calendar. They also have some more adorable designs on their board so go check them out!

2. The Ellie Blog

I love how feminine and happy this one is. It just makes you look forward to a new year!

3. Frugal Living
I can go on and on about how much I love this calendar. It is so handy and beautiful!








4. Floral Philosopher
This calendar is not just cute...it's also a bonus because her site has the whole year available to print out in this matching scheme! Awesome!

Kid's Stuff

1. A Little Delightful
This is a blank sheet that can be re-used over and over again. Think of how adorable this would be in a binder with each year saved!

2. Squishy Cute Designs
There are lots of other coloring pages on their website so be sure to give them a look!







3. Printables 4 Kids
Balancing work and play...I like it. This is such a great activity sheet!

Well there you have it folks...your January printables. I hope you like them as much as I do, I wish I had half the creativity that these other guys have! I hope your upcoming year is a wonderful one filled with lots of laughter and love!

Admittance Is The First Step

I realized ( as I was scrolling through another page after page of Sherlock memes ) that I might have a problem. I might be a little...tad bit.....obsessive. The only problem to my problem is that it's not just one thing. I've discovered that if I find something that is worthy enough to capture my attention I immediately fall in love. Not in a good way either. I go instant stalker and immediately launch into creepy climbing in your windows and watching you sleep sort of obsessing.

I mostly keep the weirdness to myself in public ( excluding Facebook, where I have graduated from Hogwarts, am from District 4, and work at the Dauntless compound) but privately and in my mind I am obsessing 24/7 over the latest, well...obsession.

Here are a few of my latest:

Gardening. 

Normal People: 
Let's try to grow some tomatoes or maybe cucumbers this year, wouldn't that be fun?

Me:
* calculates how much we would need to plant and garden to sustain our family in produce for a year* Go big or go home right babe? Oh hey I also pinned like twenty raised bed gardening ideas and tips. Oooohh I need these monogrammed gloves. Do these overalls make me look fat? Don't answer that...

Essential Oils

Normal People: 
Yea, they're really great. It's nice to explore healthier medicinal options.

Me: 
OH.MY.GOD. you guys! Have you smelled this one? What about this one? Hey...you have a cold...hold on let me go get my bottles. Hey hon will you go grab those six essential oil books from the car I picked up today? Ooohhh another blend to add to my EO board. Hey babe..I need a binder I'm going to make my own EO recipe and ailment book. We NEED a diffuser!

New TV Shows

Normal People: 
Oh yeah, I like that show. It's pretty good, we try to catch it when it comes on.

Me: 
I'm putting Once Upon A Time's opening song as my ringtone. I just downloaded all of the songs from The Originals...score! My fantasy football team's name is The Dowager's Defeatists...which was almost Touchdownton Abbey. Sherlock, Sherlock, Sherlock. What do you mean it would be weird to put 221 b on our house door? Do you think I have a doppelganger?

New Books 

Normal People: 
It's such a good book, I'll loan it to you I think you'll like it.


Me: 
What do you mean you want to borrow my baby? OH MY GOSH did you read the latest Mortal Instruments book? Which faction are you? Hey there's no shame in admitting Hufflepuff. I LOVE Veronica Roth......I HATE Veronica Roth. Have you read that one? My tastes are......eclectic. Oooohhhh is that a new bookstore?

My Keurig

Normal People:
Yeah, I'd recommend it. Makes some great coffee.

Me: 
I've already pinned a thousand coffee recipes featuring a keurig. YAY! Everyone got me K-Cups and syrup for Christmas!!! Ooohhh I need a carousel. Hey sweet mug....You can pay me in coffee. No I haven't opened it yet I wanted to finish watching these instructions, and care videos on Youtube first. I've already read through all the coffee varieties available and their notes...I've circled the ones I might be interested in.



I might need help people...

Oops

So...I realized the other day that I never wrote about meeting the amazingly talented author Celia Rivenbark. Oops. It went fanfreaking tastic! Hubby was watching Munchkin so I could relax and actually enjoy it without chasing a wiggly baby around.

So there I was, walking into the library clutching my brand new copy of Rude Bitches Make Me Tired and smiling like an idiot. I decided to go ahead and get a hard copy because:
1. I'd like to actually have something for her to sign other than a sticker covered kindle.
2. I LOVED the book and I wanted to support my girl Celia.
3. I thought it would be really cool to have a book actually signed by the author and something I could pass down to Munchkin. Yes it's a sarcastic southern humor book, but I loved reading it and I think one day she will too.

So there I was. I found the room easily and was sort of shocked to see how full it already was. I quickly took my seat, about five minutes until it was suppose to start and began looking around. A lady seating in front of me turned around and soon I found out she was from Ohio who was traveling through to see her son and long story short, loved Celia and decided to stop by. I really couldn't get a word in from her yammering on, but I didn't mind because I was too excited to form a coherent conversation. The woman had turned around in her seat and began talking to the man next to her when another man addressed the group. He said that due to foggy weather Celia was running a bit late. No problemo. I decided to use these few extra minutes to go to the bathroom. This is where I found the differences between a northern woman and a southern woman.

I tapped the woman in front of me who I thought had become my new friendly comrade and asked her ever so sweetly if she would hold my seat for me while I ran to the restroom. She raised her eyebrow and then said " Well can't you just put your book down or something?" Y'all I just stared at her.

If you would have asked that question to any southern woman they would have immediately responded with " Of course surgar ( darlin', sweetie, honey,etc)" and guarded your seat with their life. This woman on the other hand was appalled that I had asked her something so ludicrous. I just sat back and mentally pictured hitting her with my new book. Talk about rude bitches....

Celia eventually made it, and after a few horrifying moments of the announcer mispronouncing her name wrong......twice and having to adjust his glasses twice to read the book title ( seriously...did they just drag him from the hallway to run this thing?) things finally got going. She read an excerpt or two from her book, and answered etiquette questions. It was awesome.

I got her to autograph my new book and she asked what I did. When I mentioned Munchkin she asked how I enjoyed staying home with her, and what she was like. Honest to goodness you guys she actually cared. She was taking time to look in my eyes ( not creepy...more like she was actually genuinely interested in whatever I was saying) and ask questions. She is a wonderful, wonderful person and I am SO glad I got to meet her.

So go check out her website, you wont be sorry!

Judgiest Fortune Cookie Ever

 

Yea I know fortune cookie, but you know what sometimes crap happens. 

Stop judging me with your stupid double smiley faces.

Freebie Tuesday

.

1. Sample Of Bulgari Omnia Crystalline Fragrance
2. Sample Of Aquafina's New Flavorsplash Sparkling Water ( through Facebook)
3. Free Farnam Horse Care Calendar
4. Free Bird Dog Bay Sticker
5. Sample from MuscleTech
6. Free Migraine Awareness Wristband
7. Free " Life's A Dog" Bumper Sticker
8. Free COAST Clothing Sticker
9. Sample Of Calvin Klein Beauty Fragrance
10. Free Sample of TongueSpank Seasoning ( through Facebook)
11. Sample of Sandy Cleaning Wipes

Freebies Still Available From Past Weeks:

1. Sample Of Oblige Body Lotion  ( through Facebook)

2. Poise Liner Sample Kit

3.Send A Free Thank You Card To Our Troops (through Facebook)

4. Free Sample Of Hugo Boss Perfume

5. Free Sample Of Cantu Coconut Curling Cream ( through Facebook)

6. Centrum Flavor Burst Sample

7. Sample Of Mary Kay's True Dimensions Lipstick In Plum Shade 

8. Cabinet Safety Latch Starter Kit For Childproofing
9.  Oblige Eye Cream Sample
10. Escada Perfume Sample
11. Align Probiotic Supplement Sample
12. Eucerine Lotion Sample ( must take the pledge)
13. Free Pet Safety Pack
14. Free Trial Kit From Tena Pads
15. Sample Size Arm & Hammer Sensitive Toothpaste
16. Sample Of Depend Underwear
17. Free Sample Of Emergen-C
18. Sample Of Wise Prepared Emergency Foods
19. Coolaz Koozie Sample
20. Sample Of Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel
21. Generation Know Bracelet By Kotex

22. Sample Of Katy Perry's Killer Queen Perfume ( through Facebook)

23. Komodo Teriyaki Sample

24. Swole Sports Nutrition Sample Pack

25. Free Bible

26. Free Fox Racing Sticker

27. Free Atkin's Starter Kit

28. Squelch Body Odor Remover Sample 

29. Chef's Choice Beef Jerky Sample

30. Flexitol Heel Balm 

31. Free Mini OPI Nail Lacquer ( visit a JC Penny salon and ask for a free touch-up and then receive a complementary Mini OPI Nail Lacquer)
32. Free Joyce Meyer 2014 Ministries Calendar

33. Free digital copy of Gooseberry Patch kid friendly recipe book

My Guide To Healing Colds And Flus All Naturally

I meant to write about this sooner, because cold and flu season is here and if you're as lucky as I am your little one will get hit by one of those sooner or later. My little munchkin started coughing and I knew I wanted to knock it out fast. I am very happy to report that little one's cold lasted six days from beginning to end and was treated 100% with all natural treatments ( including bringing a fever down). This is what we did:


First I made a mixture of essential oils to start fighting whatever she had. This is the recipe:

1 Tbs. Of Carrier Oil ( I used fractionated coconut)
3 Drops of Shield
3 Drops of Lavender
3 Drops of Melaleuca
1 Drop of Oregano
1 Drop of Frankincense

I stored the mixture in a small airtight container that keeps out light ( I actually put black construction paper around the sides of those 4oz clear sauce containers from Rubbermaid) and applied the mixture to her feet then covered them with socks every two hours. When I was applying the mixture I would then wash my hands and put Respire with a little carrier oil to her chest and a tiny bit on her nose again...every two hours. She actually really enjoyed me putting this mixture on her. She would actually sit still and clap, it was awesome.

When I noticed a fever I put one drop of Peppermint with a drop or two of carrier oil and rubbed it on the bottoms of her feet. I had to do that once before her nap and then again after her nap and by the evening the fever was gone. Make sure you watch them and keep them warm and covered because the peppermint extract will drop their body temperature.



Also I began putting two scoops of Greens in her juice. This stuff is AMAZING. ( It has 8+ servings of fruits and vegetables and a blend of 38 herbs and nutrient-rich superfoods. YAY) Just what little germ fighting bodies need! I usually put one scoop every week or so in her sippy, but when she began to show symptoms I started putting two scoops in her juice every day until she was better. It does turn the juice green (although it tastes like orange juice) so if your little ones are picky you might want to opt for putting it into cups they can't see into.

Well that's it, please let me know if you have any questions or share any tips you use when your little ones get sick. As always if you decide to get your essential oils at Spark Naturals you can 

use coupon code " Bubble" to save 10% off your whole order! 

Also there is FREE SHIPPING until 12/17 on any orders, no minimum..sweet! 

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor, do not rely on me for medical advice. Use common sense. Go to the doctor if it's an emergency and little timmy is literally baking cookies on his forehead. This is just my guide on what works for me and my family.

How Frankincense Gave Me Peace

Before I begin, I want to reiterate that I used to come from a very skeptic place with essential oils. I was so screwed up with modern thinking that I would immediately believe something that a drug company mass produced and that I had no idea what was in it would help, but wary of something found naturally. As I began diving into the world of essential oils I would roll my eyes and laugh when I came across something like this:

"strengthens beliefs, eternal divine connection, cleans aura and psychic planes. "

...like...really? Psychic planes? C'mon man. Then I began using the essential oils and on my little journey I've discovered that maybe those people do know what they're talking about...sort of. Let me explain.

A week or two ago I was out with Munchkin and something scary happened. I don't want to go into the details, but I was doing a million things at once,not paying attention to my surroundings and thank the Lord in heaven above that God was watching over us because something scary could have turned into something horrific. We're ok,  and we were ok, but that didn't change the fact that it happened.


That night I found myself unable to sleep. I was exhausted but whenever I closed my eyes I relived everything that happened. I tried to relax and I chastised myself for being silly, but every time I closed my eyes it was all I could think about. My heart would be racing I would begin to feel guilt and fear, it was SO powerful and so I didn't sleep. I stayed awake until I could no longer keep my eyes open and that continued for about three days.

Then one night while I was staying up I decided to finally add the frankincense oil to my headache blend that I've been using. Well clumsy as I am...I ended up getting a little bit of excess oil on my hand and I remembered reading somewhere that it was beneficial to the skin so I just rubbed the drops on my temples then went back to what I was doing.

I finished up my blend and decided to try and sleep. I got into bed, laid my head down on the pillow and breathed in the Frankincense. You guys...it was honest to God like someone laid a warm, comforting feeling over me. I immediately felt calm and peace. I can't explain it. I put my hands by my face so I could breathe more of the scent in and felt myself relaxing. I remembered what happened, but the pain and fear wasn't there. It was a wonderful, wonderful feeling to feel my mind finally at peace. I slept like a baby.

In the morning I did a little research and found a few things about frankincense:

* Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East.
*  A 2008 study reported that frankincense smoke was a psychoactive drug that relieves depression and anxiety in mice.
*  In a different study, an enriched extract of "Indian Frankincense" (usually Boswellia serrata) was used in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of patients with osteoarthritis. Patients receiving the extract showed significant improvement in their arthritis in as little as seven days. The compound caused no major adverse effects and, according to the study authors, is safe for human consumption and long-term use.
* Has been used century after century to calm, relax, and focus the mind. 

This stuff is incredible. If you are dealing with any sort of insomnia, or reliving painful memories do yourself a favor and TRY it. It can't hurt, and maybe like me you'll actually find peace.

As for how to use it,  I just dabbed literally less than one drop on my temples the first time and that was enough to sooth me to peaceful sleep. Since then if I start to feel anxious I've started taking the bottle cap and putting the inside of the cap right on the tip of my nose. Just that little dab will allow me to get the smell right on my nose and breathe it in all night. I think it would also work wonders in a diffuser at night.

As always I recommend Spark Naturals and as a special gift to my readers if you use coupon code " Bubble" you can receive 10% off your total order.

Please feel free to share any experiences with Frankincense. I love hearing about new ways, and uses with these wonderful oils.

Let's talk!

 Image Credit Here

Has there ever been a more truer statement? This topic has been on my mind recently, especially with the holiday season upon us. My friend Nickie over at Sunday Through Sunday wrote a great post about it and I figured it was high time to finally spill my thoughts on the matter.

It happens every year. I get so excited about Christmas and I spend all day and night putting up my decorations and decorating the tree to it's full of seasonal splendor. I always get so happy and warm inside when I look at my home all decked out in the season's colors. Then I get on Facebook and see Mary Sue's Christmas tree that looks like it was personally decorated by little charming southern elves. 

Then I go to Suzie's house and the whole dang thing looks like it was ripped from the pages of Better Homes And  Gardens. In my eyes my house suddenly looks like a five year old decorated it. My house doesn't even look like it would be in the running for Ok-ish Homes And Gardens. 

I immediately feel saddened and downhearted. Why? Because I'm comparing myself to them. Not just in the home department either.....

I see Molly decorating a gingerbread house with her little tot and I feel like a crappy mom because so far all Munchkin and I have accomplished is watching all of season two of Sherlock. 

Then I see Mary Beth ( why do all my fake names feel like the south in the 50s?) wearing her beautiful Christmas dress that makes her look like freaking Marilyn Monroe and I'm over here chowing down on my mother-in-law's caramel popcorn. 

See? The cycle never ends! And I can't be the only one out there. It's crazy when you think about it. Just imagine if your child was acting the way you act. Imagine if your daughter was comparing herself to Rihanna or Hermione or whoever else. You'd tell her she was perfect and everyone is different. You'd tell her she's been ridiculous and that she's this amazing person who you would never trade for all the Rihannas in the world...or even one really...what? Sorry...no, not really sorry at all actually.

My point is that we can see the perfectness in others, but we can't see it in ourselves and that's so ridiculous. So what if my house isn't perfect, hell I'm not perfect either. My presents might not have gorgeous bows and matching paper that looks like it was wrapped by Williams Sonoma himself ( is that a real guy?) but it's because I have a little angel running around my house and finding magic in pulling bows off. So what? 

That's just my home, and that's my happiness. Look for the good in yourself and your creations. Stop comparing your page one to their page 95. We're not perfect. We just all try to be and we end up hurting ourselves in the process. Enjoy the little things because fifty years from now you're not going to remember if you had matching garland in your windows you're going to remember how much your kid smiled or how many snowball fights you had with your Hubby. 

Try to see the beauty in yourself that others see. Embrace the parts you try to hard to hide and fix because those parts are what make YOU original. 

YOU are amazing, there I said it. I know how you feel and sometimes a stranger telling us something is what we need for validation so you're getting it now. Listen up: YOU ARE AMAZING. Go have fun, go do what makes you happy, life is short. Forget the others, forget the magazines, just be you and be happy with what makes your heart smile. 

 

Freebie Tuesday!

 1. Free Mini OPI Nail Lacquer ( visit a JC Penny salon and ask for a free touch-up and then receive a complementary Mini OPI Nail Lacquer)
2. Free Joyce Meyer 2014 Ministries Calendar

3. Free one year subscription to Motorcycle Cruiser magazine

4. Free Christmas Tree Ornament ( Through Facebook)

5. Cloud 9 cat treats sample

6. Free digital copy of Gooseberry Patch kid friendly recipe book

Freebies Still Available From Past Weeks:

1. Sample Of Oblige Body Lotion  ( through Facebook)

2. Poise Liner Sample Kit

3.Send A Free Thank You Card To Our Troops (through Facebook)

4. Free Sample Of Hugo Boss Perfume

5. Free Sample Of Cantu Coconut Curling Cream ( through Facebook)

6. Centrum Flavor Burst Sample

7. Sample Of Mary Kay's True Dimensions Lipstick In Plum Shade 

8. Cabinet Safety Latch Starter Kit For Childproofing
9.  Oblige Eye Cream Sample
10. Escada Perfume Sample
11. Align Probiotic Supplement Sample
12. Eucerine Lotion Sample ( must take the pledge)
13. Free Pet Safety Pack
14. Hangover Salvation Sample ( through Facebook)
15. Free Trial Kit From Tena Pads
16. Sample Size Arm & Hammer Sensitive Toothpaste
17. Sample Of Depend Underwear
18. Free Sample Of Emergen-C
19. Sample Of Wise Prepared Emergency Foods
20. Coolaz Koozie Sample
21. Sample Of Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel
22. Generation Know Bracelet By Kotex

23. Sample Of Katy Perry's Killer Queen Perfume ( through Facebook)

24. Komodo Teriyaki Sample

25. Swole Sports Nutrition Sample Pack

26. Free Bible

27. Free Fox Racing Sticker

28. Free Atkin's Starter Kit

29. Squelch Body Odor Remover Sample 

30. 2oz Essence Of Beauty Body Mist ( through Facebook )

31. Chef's Choice Beef Jerky Sample

32. Flexitol Heel Balm

17 Amazing DIY Home Cleaning Recipes

1. Homemade Laundry Detergent by Sew Much Ado

I've made this recipe dozens of times and I love the way it makes my clothes smell and how clean it gets them! I sometimes add two or three drops of either  Lavender or Lemon essential oil while I'm grating the fels-naptha to give it an extra wonderful smell.






2. Super Shower Cleaner by Picklee

I've seen other places that say to just spray a similar mixture on the shower or bath and simply rinse, but those never worked for me. This recipe was the only one that actually said to leave it sit and boy did it work! I didn't even have to break my hand scrubbing the gunk around the bottom. Also, she has another cleaning tip for the glass doors using a lemon that I am here to tell you...works magic!







3. Reusable Peppermint Kitchen Wipes by One Good Thing By Jillee

I cannot say how much I adore these wipes! They smell amazing and it makes me feel so much better about wiping my counters down with something I know isn't filled with chemicals and is safe for my little one. Plus they're reusable, which makes them a thousand times better!








4. Polish Wood Naturally With Essential Oils by Me!

I've slowly started getting everyone I know hooked on polishing their wood naturally. Trust me on this one, you'll love the natural smell and love how great it makes your wood look! This recipe uses Wild Orange essential oil, but I've also used lemon successfully.





5. Dishwasher Detergent Tabs by One Good Thing By Jillee

I've been using this recipe for weeks, and I love my dishes. The only change I would make is that I used apple cider vinegar in the mixture and a splash of distilled white vinegar before I wash. It has made a huge difference in my dishes. Also..I've noticed that if I skip the vinegar there tends to be some residue so don't skip it people!






6. Orange All Purpose Cleaning Spray by Petit Chef

I was SO skeptical about using vinegar as a spray, I did NOT want my house to smell like a pickle factory. So on a whim I tried this recipe and I was happily impressed. The smell of vinegar is almost completely removed from the mixture when you let it sit for a few weeks then when you use it any traces of the vinegar smell dissapears completely after it dries.








7. Deodorizing And Bacteria Killing Toilet Bombs by Maria's Self

Alright, I haven't made this yet but I am DYING to! If you look on her website she also lists tons of other uses for these toilet bombs. This is SO creative, and of course I love anything that I can drop into the toilet, clean the rest of the bathroom and then scrub and done.







8. Lean Green Floor Cleaning Machine Solution by A Lovely Mess

I use this when I have company coming over, I LOVE how beautiful it makes my floors and the only thing I would change is adding Lavender essential oil into the mix. It leaves just the right amount of lingering scent.






9. Homemade Oven Cleaner by Couponing To Disney

While this recipe didn't leave my oven *sparkling* clean it did clean better than my old commercial cleaning spray and it didn't gag and choke me, so it's definitely a win-win. Let me know how it works for you!

10. DIY Liquid Hand Soap by One Good Thing by Jillee

Ok, I'm not obsessed with her...ok yes I am. I can't help it though, she comes up with amazing DIY stuff, like this soap. However take this little tip: after you let it sit overnight mix it up with a mixer for a while....it will look like snot (sorry), but after about 15 minutes it'll turn silky smooth, and make your hands super soft!







11. Homemade Fabric Refresher by Northern Cheapskate

I tried to make my own, but I didn't think to use vinegar and mine didn't turn out well. I had a DUH moment when I read this post and promptly made my own batch. It really worked wonders, the the only thing I did different was make one batch her way using Snuggle and another batch with Lavender essential oil for our bedroom and the baby's crib. I LOVE it!

 12. DIY Microfiber Duster by DIY Home Sweet Home

I am SO glad that I learned how to sew, because now I can make this! If you've ever used microfiber cloths you know how well they trap dust and this tutorial on how to make them into a reusable swiffer-like one is perfection! LOVE it!







13. Stainless Steel Cleaner  by Passion For Savings

I don't have that much stainless steel in my house, but what little I do have this recipe made sparkle. Let me know how well it works on larger pieces!

14. DIY Window And Glass Cleaner  by Fabulessly Frugal

OK, I never in a million years would have put cornstarch into a glass cleaning recipe, but thank goodness she did because this stuff is awesome. The best part is so smelly fumes or harsh chemicals! 





15. Microfiber Couch Cleaner by Plant Therapy

I do not have microfiber couches, but my brother does and when I found this recipe I sent it straight to him! I also loves that she adds an essential oil blend into her mix ( similar to Spark Natural's Shield Blend ) so the couch is also sanitized as well as cleaned! Great thinking!








16. Leather Couch Cleaner by Fabulessly Frugal

I do not have leather couches either, mainly because I have a toddler who thinks our fabric couch is a jungle gym. So until she learns what no means we're not going this route...anyways..if you DO have leather here is a great DIY cleaner!








17. Homemade Carpet Cleaner by Me!

This was just too easy to make into a blog post, it's 2 cups of baking soda and about 3-4 drops of an essential oil of your choice, mixed and sprinkled onto your carpets. Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes then vacuum up! I also use this mixture on my fabric couch cushions!