A New Year and New Endeavors!

I apologize for not having many posts in the last few months! As everyone knows, the holiday season takes much of your time, especially with a toddler. I had a great Holiday season, but I'm sorta glad it's over!
I had started making candies and fudges and designing clothes and accessories last year and this year I had many return customers. It helped with buying Christmas. I'm really hoping that it grows this year.
I started making scarves and found out that Yard Bee's Yarn is by far the softest and best. (You can find it mostly at Hobby Lobby). The Soft Secret is my customers favorite. Here's some pics of the scarves I've been making..and still am!

Now I'm trying hats:



For the lime one, I found bulky yarn at Walmart that is super soft and is perfect for these hats.
I'm having fun and hopefully these will start selling too.
My next endeavor is engraving necklaces!! I'm super excited about that!
Well, my friends..I pray that our Heavenly Father blesses you this new year of 2013.

DIY Aromatherapy Room & Linen Spray

Go to here to Greenpergola for the essential oil reference guide

Homemade Aromatherapy Spray

Ingredients:

• small spray bottle with a fine mister (2 oz. works well)
• 1 ounce distilled water or high-proof vodka, or a combination of the two
• 20 drops of your favorite essential oil blend depending on the mood you want to achieve (see suggestions below)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray as needed to achieve desired effect.

Suggested Essential Oil Blends to Use:

For a calming pillow/linen spray:

• 15 drops chamomile and 5 drops lavender OR,
• 10 drops chamomile, 5 drops sage, and 5 drops bergamot OR,
• 10 drops rosemary and 10 drops lavender

For an energizing room spray:

• 12 drops rosemary and 8 drops bergamot OR,
• 10 drops peppermint and 10 drops lemon OR,
• 10 drops bergamot, 5 drops orange, and 5 drops grapefruit

For a spray that beats the blues:

• 12 drops orange and 8 drops grapefruit OR,
• 20 drops grapefruit

Tips and Warnings:

• Always store things made with essential oils in a cool place away from sunlight.
• Use only light colored oils for pillow/linen sprays to avoid staining linens.
• Carefully select essential oils that are right for you, keeping safety precautions in mind. Use this chart to learn more about each oil or to experiment with your own oil blends.
• Always use essential oils with care. They are very volatile, pure plant extracts.

Ribbon Barrett's 80's Retro

So this last week, I had a brain thought...remember the ribbon barrett's in the 80's that were so popular and you wanted one in every color?!  I remember my dad got me one pair, purple and I wore it with EVERYTHING..yes, everything. Since cheerleading is starting again, I thought it would be cute to make one for my daughter. Wouldn't you know after some research, these have come back and people are buying them!
So, here are some pics of the one's I've done so far. If you would like one, you can visit my Etsy store and relive the memories!

75 Activities for Kids This Summer

75 Kids Activities for Spring and Summer! (Most are FREE!)

Ever have a hard time coming up with fun activities for your Kids during Spring and Summer? Well, I decided we should all put our brains together and come up with an awesome list of ideas. So the next time your kids are driving you crazy, or are just bored out of their minds, you can refer to this list and hopefully get one that sparks your interest!

Summer break is a long time to keep kids occupied. So, here are 75 Kid and Family Activities for Spring and Summer. Enjoy!

1. Draw with Sidewalk Chalk
2. Play with Water Toys in the Yard
3. Slip N Slide
4. Make Giant Bubbles
5. Paint Items Outside with Water (It dries and there is no mess!)
6. Go to a Local Fishing Pond
7. Backyard Campout
8. Draw Monster Pictures on Paper, Hang them in the Yard and “Melt” them with the Hose or Spray Bottle
9. Head to a Splash Park
10. Go on a Treasure Hunt for Rocks and Paint them
11. Participate in the Summer Movie Program! (Kid Friendly Movies are only $.50 during the Summer!)
12. Collect Flowers and Press them in Books.
13. Outdoor Picnic
14. Create a Campfire and Do S’mores
15. Head to the Zoo
16. Make a Lemonade Stand and Sell it Outside to the Neighbors
17. Take a Tour of a Fire Station
18. Head to a Water Park
19. Go on a Family Hike
20. Have a Movie Night Outside with Pillows and Blankets
21. Make Homemade Ice Cream
22. Head to a Free Firweokrs Show or Have Your Own at Home
23. Do a Family Game Night with Fun Prizes at the End
24. Go on a Bike Ride
25. Take a Family Walk
26. Go to a Park and Feed the Ducks
27. Have Bathtime in the Bathtub with Glowsticks!
28. Build a Fort Inside on a Rainy Summer Day
29. Let them Color on your Windows with Window Markers or Crayons
30. Purchase Solid Colored Shirts and Hand Kids a Bleached Pen to Create their Own Designs
31. Make Your Own Playdoh
32. Do an Outdoor Scavengar Hunt
33. Color Ice Cubes and Set on the Drive way to Melt
34. Fingerpaint with Pudding
35. Make Tin Foil Dinners and Cook them in the Oven.
36. Teach your Kids to Sew.
37. Make cute hair clips with your Kids.
38. Find Shapes in the Clouds
39. Water Balloon Fight
40. Play Outdoor Night Games
41. Go to the Library Each Week and Read Books at the Park
42. Make Homemade Popsicles
43. Backyard Tic Tac Toe
44. Make a Marshmallow Shooter, Spray Paint the Outside and Have Teams
45. Blow Up Balloons and Cut Water Noodles in Half for a Fun Game.
46. Make Your Own Slime
47. ABC Hunt- Write all 26 Letters on your Driveway and Find Items Outside and Place Next to Each Letter.
48. Make Rootbeer Floats
49. Go to One of the Free Museum or Free National Park Days in your area
50. Go to a Baseball Game
51. Make SnoCones at Home
52. Plant a Garden
53. Go to a Dinosaur Museum
54. Head to a Farm and Feed the Animals
55. Participate in Kids Bowl Free!
56. Go Star Gazing
57. Go Miniature Golfing
58. Head to Free Movies in the Park (Check local cities for times.)
59. Do a Kid Fun Run
60. Make Your Own Lava Lamp
61. Go to a Library Storytime
62. Go to a Carnival or County Fair
63. Go Fishing
64. Make Necklaces out of Colored Pasta
65. Have a Princess Tea Party Outdoors
66. Have a Muddy Sandbox Day
67. Flashlight Tag
68. Travel to New Playgrounds
69. On Rainy Days, Create a Homemade Music Video
70. Write with Chalk on your Trampoline. (It washes right off and looks more like a Chalkboard!)
71. Make homemade popsicles with fruit juice and popsicle molds.
72. Have a read-a-thon day at the Park with treats.
73. Go have a picnic at a park or a camp ground site.
74. Haul the TV and DVD player outside for a starlit movie night.
75. Door Bell Ditch Someone with Ding Dongs!

Feel free to share this post with all of your friends, family members and anyone who might want a reference list for fun Spring and Summer ideas! I’ve pinned it on Pinterest for all of you to Re-Pin too! I don’t know about you, but it is hard for me to come up with ideas on my own sometimes. So lists always help me.
(Thanks to all the Freebies2Deals Readers who submitted these awesome ideas!)

Clever Uses for Common Household Goods

Today, I received my Kroger savings packet and it came with some neat simple ideas for cleaning with products you already have in your pantry.

Coffee Filters

For cleaning,use coffee filters with glass cleaner on windows and mirrors for a sparkling shine.

Baking Soda

Adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to laundry can boost your detergent's cleaning capabilities.

Sponges soaked in baking soda and hot water will stay fresher longer.

Diluting 1/4 tsp of baking soda for every cup of water also makes a gently, natural rinse for fruits and veggies.

Salt

Don't clean your cast iron skillet with soap, but a little salt will give it a deep clean. Simply heat a bit of oil over edium heat in a cast-iron skillet, then sprinkle in three tablespoons of salt. Hold a paper towel with tongs to scour clean and rinse with water and coat with vegetable oil to cure.

Furniture Polish

Non-abrasive oil or silicone based furniture polishes can quiet squeaky door hinges. Just mist the hinges with furniture polish while slightly opening and closing the door to allow the cleaner to coat the hardware.

It can help prevent mildew and soap scum buildup in the bathroom, too. Lightly mist shower doors and wall tiles with furniture polish and let stand for 15 minutes, then buff with a dry cloth.

Pillowcases

Before you toss a pillowcase in the wash, use one to make cleaning ceiling fans mess-free. Slip a pillowcase over the panels and lightly close the open end around the panel to make sure you clean the top and bottom in one swipe. Then pull the pillowcase toward the end of the panel. When the job is done, take the pillowcase outside and turn inside-out to shake away the dust.

Dryer Sheets

In the bathroom, a wet dryer sheet can remove soap scum. Use it like a sponge to speed up your cleanup.

A dryer sheets anti-static properties weaken the bond between burnt or baked-on food and cookware. Just submerge one in a dirty pan filled with warm water and let stand for 30 minutes or overnight to reduce the need for heavy scrubbing.


Pretty cool, huh?

Homemade Laundry Detergent for HE Washers

After seeing some pins on Pinterest, my sister in law tried a version for her regular washer. She made 5 gallons of it, uses 2 tbsp, and LOVES it! It worked wonders on her laundry and the amazing amount of money she saves was even more amazing! The thing that really caught my attention besides the above mentioned, was that she finally got that weird moldy smell out of her towels. I thought it was just me! I have washed and rewashed my towels trying to get that awful smell out of them. I am a smell obsessed woman and this bothered my OCD of smelldome. So...I thought, what the heck. I'll try it. But, I had to make sure that I could find something that wouldn't damage my HE washer. The most useful site for me was DIY Natural. After looking at many sites and reading readers reviews and comments, here's what I came up with. Also, you'll see how much money you'll save! It's really ridiculous. I found everything at my local Walmart. You can also find these items at Amazon.


Ingredients:
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Approx $2-3)
Borax (Approx $2-3) 
Fels-Naptha ($.97)


You will need:
Cheese grater
Container that seals good to put your laundry soap in

Directions:
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 Cup Borax
1 Small Grated Bar of Fels-Naptha
I put in about 3 tbsp for each load
THAT'S IT!!!

I use the smallest holes...HOWEVER....PLEASE watch your fingers! It never fails (cuz I'm clumsy) that I tear my finger up! So be careful!
I admit, this is the only so-so part of the whole process...grating the soap takes a while and your hand and wrist will not be happy! And, I'm sure I could do something better to not make such a mess.
After you put all your ingredients in, put the lid on and shake the fire out of it. You need to make sure it's mixed well.
I still use my use fabric softner, but never fear-I am researching the best DIY fabric softner and will post it for you!

Happy DIYing!

DIY Flower Hair Clips for Under $1 ~ Money Saving Fashion Idea

I absolutely love this site...A Thrifty Mom. She has the greatest ideas! I will be doing this at my daughter's birthday party in May! Keep the great ideas coming!

DIY Flower Hair Clips for Under $1 ~ Money Saving Fashion Idea

Toddler Towels

A few months ago, I noticed that the hooded towels I got for the baby were no longer big enough for him. I went to Target and Walmart, but to no avail. Then I went online looking and found some great towels that were for toddlers and older. However, I didn't like the prices and hey...the economy sucks! So...the adventurous type I am, I did some googling. Lo and behold...Pinterest again! Yes, my dear friends...the 'crack' for women as I call it, comes through again! Thanks to http://www.makeandtakes.com/easy-hooded-bath-towel I got my idea! One lesson I learned...if you don't sew the ends of the cut towel or cover the ends with ribbon or such, the ends come apart. My baby is 25lbs and 34" long (I know..he's huge!)
You will need the following:
1 Hand Towel
1 Bath Towel
Ribbon, Scissors, Sewing Machine (unless you're really talented with a needle!), etc

First, cut the hand towel down the middle. You will use 1/2 of a hand towel for each towel.

Cut the bath towel down the middle.

Attach the ends as shown with pins and sew.

Sew the top part of the 'hood' together. Add decorative ribbon trim or rick-rack, or whatever you choose to do...wherever you want.

Remember to zigzag the end of the bath towel before you add trim or it will come unraveled as such:

End result: One Cute Towel until they get bigger! Then use the whole towel.

I bought all of these towels at WalMart. The solid colors were $4 and $6 respectively and the dotted one was $6 and $9 (As of today, they were on sale!)
Have fun and show me your tots towels! I'll try to get a picture of the baby with him wrapped in one...today, he didn't feel like cooperating (little sucker!)