homemade citrus cleaner

As promised here is a homemade citrus cleaner similar to the all-purpose vinegar cleaner that I shared yesterday. The only thing is that this one requires your family to eat citrus fruits and a little patience! :)


But first I want to offer a quick disclaimer/encouragement...
In case anyone is feeling the urge to start making all their own toiletries, cleaning products, etc, and might be feeling overwhelmed, let me encourage you to take your time! I may be posting all these quickly, but remember that this change for me has taken months! As I ran across new ideas, I incorporated them into our lives. So go slow with transitioning to homemade stuff- don't over whelm yourself by making too many changes too quickly!

Okay on to the Citrus Cleaner...

I love Citrus! It's one of my favorite smells. So when I saw how easy this was, I just had to try it!
This may not be new to some of you since I did see it floating around the Internet recently.

What you'll need:

~ A quart size Mason jar (or two!)
~ Citrus Peels
~Distilled White Vinegar
~A spray bottle
~Water

1. Eat Oranges :)  (or any other citrus fruits- mine consists of Oranges and Clementines)

2. Save the left over peels in a Mason jar

3. When the jar is filled with peels, pour in the vinegar to fill up the rest of the jar.

4. Now set it on the counter for about 2 weeks (It really makes a lovely temporary decoration). The longer it sets the more potent it will be. Also it might be a good idea to label your jars so you know when they're ready!

5. At the ending of the 2 or so weeks, use a fine mesh strainer to separate the orange peels from the liquid.

6. Pour the liquid into the Spray bottle and add the same amount of water
(Ex: my first batch yielded 10 oz of liquid, so I added 10 oz of water.)

7. Give it a shake and you have a Citrus cleaner that you can use on anything- counters, floor, tubs, sinks, etc!

This process of saving something that I used to throw away has made me rethink what we throw out, and wonder what other ways I can recycle our "food waste." I'm learning there are still ways we can benefit from foods we throw away and I'm looking forward to learning more about how.

Finally I want to comment on how satisfying it is to make something from scratch that is very useful to your family! Once you start, it's an addicting feeling! Just make one thing on the list from yesterday and see how it feels! :)  But really, we all know the satisfaction of creating something from our own two hands with success, so I know this isn't a shock to you! There's nothing like looking in your cabinets, on your shelves, in your freezer and seeing products made by your own hands, with your own effort! If anything make me feel like super mom (on those rare days), it's doing this! I feel like I'm truly providing my family a simpler life and a safer home! You aren't creating something for just the sake of it, but you're creating a product that will save you money, that will be more natural and safe for your home, and that you'll actually use!!! I also love that I've freed up a chunk of our grocery budget by freeing myself from having to buy cleaning products at the store! When something runs out, I go to my pantry and whip up another batch!

Okay, how have you discovered the satisfaction of made-from-scratch living? 
Have you tried something new recently?

make cleaning products for pennies

There is something about homemade living that I think everyone should know:

You can make your own cleaning products (and toiletries) for just pennies, and actually enjoy them!

AND you don't have to live with and use the chemicals from the store that make you want to wear a gas mask every time you use them! 

When I first pregnant, I became more and more aware of the chemicals in my house- they were everywhere, in my kitchen, in my bathroom, in my laundry room, and behind most cabinet doors close to the floor! It was alarming to realize this and the huge responsibility it would be to baby-proof a house and spend years keeping all kinds of harmful things around our house out of little hands.

I knew it would be impossible to say goodbye to the little years without some incident involving my child eating something he shouldn't, no matter how careful I was. So what could I do?

I could remove it all from my home. But how? I still needed to clean my house?

Then I began a mission of finding a natural cleaning product. Then I discovered Norwex and have been happily using their reusable antibacterial microfiber cloths for about 2 years now, along with many other products! I love the products and although I don't sell them myself, I've sold many friends and family on them and now have a couple consultants in the family :) If you have any questions about it, let me know, as I won't take the time and space in this post.

After slowly removing chemicals from my home and using a few simple Norwex products that are truly multi-purpose, I started learning that I could easily and cheaply make my own cleaning products with only a few ingredients that I already have around the house.


Here is a basic list of staple ingredients needed to make homemade cleaning producs:

• Borax
• Baking Soda
• Super Washing Soda
• White Vinegar
• Castile Soap
• Essential oils are not necessary but they can be fun to experiment with
  
  
  
  The basics are vinegar and baking soda- we probably all have that in our pantry right now! So you can start there! The rest of these items are fairly inexpensive and can be found pretty easily in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store, a well appointed health food store, or online through Mountain Rose Herbs.

Here are a few recipes for cleaning products you can make with a few simple ingredients:

Abrasive Scrub
(Uses: Toilet bowl scrub, mattress freshener, carpet freshener,

~Fill an empty plastic container (like a parmesan container) halfway with baking soda.
~Add 15-20 drops of tea tree oil (anti-bacterial)
        (Also add any other essential oil you like for scent- I love Peppermint or Orange)
~Shake until mixed totally

For toilet bowls, use like Comet- sprinkle in toilet bowl, and use toilet brush to scrub
For mattresses and carpets, sprinkle around, let set, then vacuum up!




All Purpose Cleaner
(Uses: counters, floors, sinks, tubs, etc!)

~Fill a spray bottle 1:1 with water and white distilled vinegar.
~Use as is or add some essential oils


Dish Soap- I plan to make this recipe soon!

Laundry Soap- uses Castile bar soap. I plan to use this recipe as soon as I go through the last batch I recently made. I don't care for the strong smell of the Fels Naphtha.

Foaming Anti Bacterial Hand Soap


So here are a few recipes that can get you started, and pretty much do most of your cleaning for you.
I've found that if there's still something in my house I want to replace, I just google a homemade natural version and there are usually lots of versions out there, so take advantage of the internet! There are lots of other women on blogs who have a wealth of information and experience and they are just like us, wanting to make their homes safer and cleaner!

I now exclusively use Norwex or homemade cleaners, and chemical cleaners are almost non-existent in our house! It feels good to have one less thing to worry about in a house of toddlers! We have enough trouble to keep them out of!

Tomorrow I'll be sharing another DIY Cleaning Recipe with you!:)


Share or Link any other cleaning recipes you have in the comments below so that we can all

Fabric Heart Cards

Before kids, my hobby was card-making.
Since having kids, I've fallen in love with sewing and fabric!
For this project, I dug through all my card-making supplies and my scrap fabric, and merged the two together!


Here are the Valentines that we made for all Titus and Norah's little friends, both near and far!

 

Fabric Heart Valentine's Cards

 

What you'll need:
Paper cutter
scissors
scrap fabric
card stock paper
sewing machine
glue stick
extra paper for a note
stamps/ink (any card making supplies)

First, find some scrap paper in pinks, reds, purples, etc. and cut them to the size you'd like.
Mine are various sizes because we just cut wherever we felt like it!
Titus enjoyed using my paper cutter, although he did manage to come away from it with a battle wound from it! :(

Then using scrap fabric in various patterns and Valentines colors, cut out hearts!
Polka dots are fun- which you can see I have a lot of! :)
I find the quickest way to do this is to start with a small square of fabric, fold it in half, and cut a half heart starting at the fold.
Or if you want to be precise or aren't confident in your cutting skills, you could draw a template. Just lay the template on the fabric, trace it and cut it out that way. But that will take a lot longer. I don't think an imperfect heart is that big of a deal, anyways. It just adds to the charm of this handmade card!

Now it's time to sew!
Place a heart on one of the pieces of paper anyway you like, and place the machine needle in the bottom tip of the heart. This is your starting point.
I just used white thread for my cards to keep it simple. In some of fabric it matched nicely and wasn't that noticeable. And in others it stood out more. Feel free to be bold in your thread color!
You also might need to adjust the tension/settings on your machine since you're sewing through paper.  I loosened the tension slightly and increased my stitch length because I noticed some of my stitching with looking tight. It would be a good idea to play around with the settings on a practice card.
Start at the bottom tip of the heart and work your way up the first side and around the first hump. When you reach the middle point, keep your needle in the fabric/paper, lift the presser foot, and swivel the whole thing so you can do the next side.
Be careful when stitching around the curves, but also keep it moving! And be sure to keep a good hold on the heart since it's not pinned! Don't worry if it's not perfect- mine certainly aren't!
Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end, and clip the threads close the fabric.
Now repeat with how ever many cards you plan to make!

Here's what they'll look like when they're finished!
Beautiful! Just a few more steps to go!

Now when you're done sewing, the back will look like this. You'll see the stitching.
To cover it, we glued a Valentine's poem to the back.

  Then Titus signed the cards, and we stamped some hearts.

For the front, we stamped each of the their friends' names, or stamped the word "Love."
You can decorate your cards any way you'd like by rounding the corners, using decorative scissors, stickers, rub-ons, etc. 

Now they're done and we have a stack of envelopes ready to mail to lots of loved very-missed friends and cousins in MI!


  
For another Valentine's craft idea, click over to make a Valentines Garland!
 

chalkboard kitchen wall

Thanks for all the birthday wishes this week! I had a wonderful birthday, made special by my amazingly sweet husband and my two precious children! I really am so blessed! God is good!

Over the weekend, we painted our kitchen! :) I'm so in love with the new colors! I feel such a freshness when I walk in the kitchen and was such a pick-me-up on my birthday! It feels like me- like US- and I'm excited about this blank canvas of neutral gray walls to bring lots of color to!
Here's the before and after.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I also wanted a very dark gray for the back splash behind the stove and sink. Instead of spending more money on paint that I only needed very little of, I decided to use what I had on hand- chalkboard paint!

I was finally able to cure it today and was very pleased with how it turned out and looks with the rest of the kitchen! We'll be tackling the cabinets next!

Here some highlights from my little birthday party, that show off the kitchen color too!

Crazy kids, yummy goodies!

It's not a birthday party without hats, according to Titus!
Love my kids!!!

Enjoying my new birthday present... especially since I currently have dishes to do and floors to sweep! :P



Today I'm linking up with the following:
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Somewhat Simple

a mama's birthday...

Here I am, sitting on my couch, in my pjs still at 10:30am and I haven't had a shower yet...
Today is my 27th birthday...


(Last year, I shared on my old blog about having birthday blues as a mom, when our birthdays become overshadowed by everything else in life)


I think the birthday blues are ever-present as a mom of young kids!

This is my first birthday after our big move, and it's brought on homesickness for all the friends and family we left it MI! It's easy to have a little pity party thinking about the fact that I'll be home most of the day alone with my two little kids, as if it's any other day...

Cleaning up messes, breaking up fights, disciplining misbehavior, wiping dirty bottoms, lots of noise, making peanut butter sandwiches... this is what my birthday has consisted of so far!

As I look around at my life today and realize the blessings that my 27 years of life have brought me, my birthday has become a day to celebrate the good things in my life and be thankful, and not to do whatever I want (like sleep in hehe) and be selfish on my day! :)

I have two sweet kids, who are a lot of work right now, but a few birthdays spent serving them, is nothing compared to the blessing that they are and the importance they are eternally!

My husband is such an example of selfless, Christ-like love and humbles me with his constant service and others-centeredness attitude! He knows my birthday means alot to me and does what he can to make it special. It may not be like how my mom would do it, but I've learned to change my expectations and appreciate all the good things that do happen!

As a mom, it's the little things that I've come to appreciate....
Last night, it was sitting in the corner of a dimly-lit restaurant with my husband alone, enjoying a quiet dinner without having to inhale my food or stop to feed kids or cut up food! It was NICE!
On Saturday, my husband lined up babysitting in the morning so we could sit at Starbucks and drink some coffee together!

This birthday, more than any other, I've realized I want different things than ever before.
Time alone with my hubby!
Eat at a restaurant we would never take our kids to...
Get to actually eat my meal uninterrupted...
Enjoy some peace and quiet...
Walk around a store alone or with just my husband...

It's the little things now that matter most!


Here are a few other birthday blessings-

I got this book for my birthday and have already finished reading it! Inspired You has truly inspired me and because of it, I completely repainted my kitchen (with more to come!) :) I'll have to do an official review soon, because think most if not all of you would LOVE this book!

I love the new colors in my kitchen and the fact that some fresh paint in the house, truly makes the space to start to feel like my own! I love that the neutral colors will make brighter colors I'll decorate with just pop.

I can't wait to eat this yummy cake that my hubby made for me! It's a dark chocolate cake with a hint of coffee flavor!! Mmmmm

And although I'm a little more homesick this birthday, and am really longing for a girl's night with two very special friends, I'm thankful for this day to reflect on God's blessings in my life, and to enjoy all the good things that God sends to bless me this day! God reminded me this morning that this isn't my day, it's His day that he's given me to live for him, not myself!

I'm also thankful for so many birthday greetings, texts, calls, cards, etc!
 It's a huge reminder of all of the people in my life Ive been blessed to know and many who are praying for me today! Thanks for the encouragement that so many of you have been to me today!

tutorial : valentine's day garland

Happy February!!!

February is my birthday month!
And many other wonderful things happen this month, including lots of other family birthdays and Valentines day!

Here is a fun Valentines decoration I made last year that I posted on my old blog.
I pulled this baby out of a box while I was unpacking my craft room a couple weeks, and knew that I had to share it again!

This Valentine's Felt Garland would be really fun to make with your kids (that is, if your kids are old enough to use scissors!) with many ways to decorate!

Here are some decor ideas that I wish I could do with my garland:

~ drape it on a mantle

~ wrap it around a small Christmas tree to make a "valentines tree"

Ultra Easy Instructions:

*Cut hearts and other various shapes out of red,pink,white, etc Felt

 you can have your kids help with this.

(this is what takes the most time)

*Sew all your shapes together by feeding them one by one, back to back under the presser foot of your machine.

Voila!

Now you have a fun, easy Valentine's Decoration that is so versatile, you can use it every year in a different way!

Let me know you decorate with yours!!!

naptime confessions

Here are few moments, confessions, funny/touching/cute happenings and things I've learned lately...

.... Titus naps a lot better when I wear him out beforehand! These past few warmer days, we've been running around our big yard, and out to the woods and back. It only takes 5 mins, and then he's out like a light! Today is frigid- so we did jumping jacks before bed! :) I'm learning it's a boy thing! Need.to.burn.energy!

... I heard Titus coming, so I stuffed the fruit snacks wrapper I'd been munching from in between the couch cushions.  hee hee! bad mommy! :)

...Having TWO toddlers, I now have hit the "letting myself go" phase of life! UGH! I hate that fact, but it's just impossible to pry them from my body in order to have even 5 mins in the bathroom! They have so many demands in the morning, that there's just no time to think about myself! I'm truly at the stage where I'm lucky to get to use the bathroom at all! Please tell me I'm not alone here! It's depressing, but I know it won't be for forever... at least I hope!

...both of my toddlers will sit at the picnic table together and play with playdoh independently for a half hour! I now see myself being able to steal those few moments for some productivity... or maybe just to get ready for the day! (see above) ;)

...Titus said today, "Norah my best sister! She's my friend!" This is what I've been waiting for! Their friendship is growing all the time, and I love that I can truly see it happening!

...Norah is starting to show love! She's finally playing with dolls and is starting to initiate hugs with her dolls and her brother! This is so encouraging to see!

...My 3 year old can memorize Scripture amazingly!  I realized last week "Why am I not having Titus memorize Bible verses?" I immediately taught him John 3:16, and the next day he was saying it like a pro! A week later, he walks around the house saying it, and tells it to everyone he sees! Why did I not do this sooner!? Never underestimate a toddler's ability to learn! Take advantage of it asap!

...I've been purposely making myself stop & watch the kids - soaking in every detail of the moment! Whether it's playing, or cuddling, or sitting still, I want to pause time and really see them in the moment- memorize their facial features and expressions, their smooth skin and sweet voices. To close my eyes, and breath in their smell! These are the things about this phase of life that I will one day miss! Trying not to miss the joys of this age, because of the stress and exhaustion that it is as well!