Spice jar redo

Combine hubby's grandmother's old spice jars and racks with some spray paint and new labels and viola!! Part sentimental part updated and it looks awesome

Weird switch cover up.

So in our 1970's era bathroom there was a weird switch by the toilet that controlled the fan, which was odd because the switch next to the light also controlled the fan. I wanted to cover the weird switch up so I just removed the plate cover an added a decorative star over it! Viola!!

A little spray paint goes a long way

I realize I love spray paint. Its quick and easy, and a little bit makes a big change..

Storm door: the hardware was ugly gold. So I spray painted it brushed nickel! A huge difference!

Best Roast Ever

I have made a lot of roasts in my life. But this one is by far the best!

You will need:
Pork or beef roast
1 packet dry ranch dresaing mix
1 packet dry italian dressing mix
1 packet dry brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups water
Carrots, onion, potatoes if you would like!

Throw meat and veggies into crock pot. Mix water and all dry packet mixes together then pour over meat and veggies. Cook on high 4 houra or low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

Home updating

We've been so busy with {life} lately I've completely forgotten to update this thing! In this crazy life we actually have accomplished some great home updating! The playroom is pretty much complete (still needs window coverings & a real doorway not a curtain) the laundry room is done, the entry way is painted along with the front door, the main bathroom has been updated, the girls room was painted, and I landscaped the front yards along with some serious tree-removing.... I don't have all the pictures yet but here are some peeks!

Playroom Before & After

 

Bathroom Before & After

Entryway Before & After

Kids 'n Cookies

My kids LOVE to cook with me, and I'm thrilled my love for cooking is trickling onto them. We all love cookies, and when they started going to preschool, the involved mom I am, I was always making cookies for holidays/birthday/days that and in Y. Of course they wanted to be involved too, so I came up with the easiest way possible: Sprinkle cookies.

I start with bagged cookie mix. Pull aparts are a little too easy and not so fun, and I really don't like my Better Homes and Garden scratch recipe (too soft, too sugary, too something I don't like). If you have a great sugar cookie recipe from scratch, email me, I'd love to see it.

All you have to add is egg and butter, meaning they each get to pour something in the batter bowl, and we take turns mixing.

Pour some sprinkles into a small dish

Then take a cookie scooper and scoop out cookie balls. Plop em into their dish, and they get to push em down a bit to cover them in sprinkles.

Place them sprinkle side up on the cookie sheet, and bake away

Yummy, easy, and they get involved. Tada!

And since these cookies are for Nana, they need a pretty, and inexpensive wrapping...

Lunch bag + hole punch + pretty ribbon = wrapped cookies!

DIY Homemade Cleaning Products

Thanks to lack of money and pinterest (and maybe a good friend Megan Jadwin), I've decided to make my own cleaning products as much as I can. I'm not doing this to be green, to save the earth, to recycle every morsel of leftover trash or to live in complete fear that cleaning products are going to cause my kids to grow extra eyes, I'm simply doing it to save money, period. Hugging trees gets my shirts dirty, I'm not one of those. But if you are, like my awesome sister in law Jenny, then maybe you might do some of these tricks too. I even made asked my husband nicely to help out (really it was one of his money saving ideas too, glad we were on the same boat because I was going to do it anyways).

Homemade Laundry Detergent (fine for HE washers too)

2 cups Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer WASHING Soda (not baking soda!)
1 bar Fels Nap soap
--all found in laundry aisle of Walmart. Borax $4 Washing soda $3 Fels Nap $.97 (the Borax & Washing Soda boxes make several batches, so it will end up saving me money)

First, grate Fels Nap soap. Hubby cut it into chunks, I popped the chunks into the grater part of the Cuisinart (wedding gift going to good use!), then when I realized it wasn't a fine enough powder, I put the metal blade in the cuisinart and grinded it up into a much smaller powder (i'm sure a blender or small electric food chopper will do the same).


Put that into a plastic container, and add in the Borax and Washing Soda. Mix well, toss in a cheap tablespoon measurer and there you go.

1 tablespoon for regular loads
2 tablespoons for extra dirty loads

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

1 roll paper towel (I used Viva "tough when wet", I thought it was appropriate... $1.97
1 tall cheap plastic food storage container (big enough to fit 1/2 of the paper towel roll, 2 for $2.48 at Walmart is the size I used)
Vinegar ($2 and change for this huge one)

Cut the paper towel in half using an electric knife (or hubby's saw of some sort if you can).

Put 1/2 paper towel roll into a tall plastic cheap food storage container. Pour in solution. For general cleaning, I used 2 cups Vinegar & 2 cups water. Let soak for a few hours to absorb all the liquid, you may need to add more or less depending on the absorbency of your paper towels.

 It will look like this

Pull the cardboard out of the center

And viola! You have wipes. I have also seen people drill holes into the top of the plastic container, but we hubby doesn't have that bit for his drill so opening the container will work for us.


I did use a couple to test them out. They are thin and long, not a square like I'm used to. They work well though, despite the vinegar smell. Next time I may add essential oil to the cleaning solution, but for now i don't know what that is or where to find it at walmart. And for ~$1 for 70 wipes, not bad since Clorox can run $3 for 35!

Happy cleaning!

{UPDATE: I don't think the homemade laundry cleaner works as well as the store stuff, nor do the homemade wipes. I find myself using twice as many wipes, or rewashing laundry... so for now... I'm sticking with the store bought products}

New House: organized chaos

Well, it's been 1 week since we moved into the house. It's an organized chaos. Thanks to our amazing friends who helped us move (shout out to Adam & Kelly, Tyler & Dani, Rick & Kendra, Keya & Bryce, Adam, Dana). We realized we have way too much junk, and to avoid realizing that ever again, I'm pretty sure we are going to stay put and never move again in the foreseeable future. All the more reason to make this house our dream home :)

For now I will post the pre-moving pictures, our blank slate and space requiring some serious elbow grease. Feel free to submit ideas for what to do, and stay tuned for projects, room by room.

Storage room

Weird plant room turned future play room

Man room

Other side of man room

Laundry room. Yes that's hand sponged green paint

Living room

*Fabulous* kitchen [insert sarcasm]

Dining room

Greenhouse. Smells like cat pee. It's days are numbered.. anyone like to demo?

Huge backyard, featuring 2 ponds, compost piles, snakes, rats, and years of un-maintained landscaping.

Kids/main bathroom

Office/craft room

Enormous master bedroom

Master bathroom

Master walk-in closet

Storage room under basement

Girls bedroom

Guest bedroom

Garage