Feeling a bit insane this week. The hormones are a little wonky. Plus I had to buy new clothes for work as I seem to have gone up a size this winter. Not the way I wanted to go clothes shopping. I ended up at
The Limited where I was able to catch some good deals on some quality clothing that was not made in China. Basically I scored four work outfits consisting of four tops and two pairs of pants in brown and gray for about $200 that work now for winter with a cardigan or jacket and into spring and summer without. (And they help hide the waistline!) Really disliking supporting clothing manufacturer's that import from China for the sole fact that they don't follow our trademark, copyright or patent laws and regularly rip off artists across the board in everything from clothing and accessories to film and art. Would love to see trade laws change on countries that aren't part of trademark and copyright treaties.
So anyway, as a result of possibly having to replace my entire wardrobe I asked for suggestions for getting some indoor cardio on my facebook page and ended up buying
Start! Walking with Leslie Sansone 1 & 2 Mile Walk on DVD.
(It came with a free 7-day Amazon on Demand Video rental of the video good for one month.) Really hoping this is something I'll be able to stick with. My friend on facebook - and yes! I know her in "real life," was able to drop from 200lbs. to 145lb. with her DVDs which I think is amazing.
I also dreamed about a devil zombie apocalypse that slowly unfolded. Every time I woke up I'd just fall back asleep and dream about a worsening twist to the strange dream. Told my brother about it and he suggested I read the book
One Second After by William R. Forstchen. Apparently it's a "this really could happen" apocalypse book about the United States being hit with bombs that knock out our communications with an EMP and send us back into what is essentially the Dark Ages. The west coast is then occupied by China purporting itself as humanitarian aid, but they never quite leave. Very unsettling. I may borrow it from my brother after I get over being freaked out by last night's dream. Hormone fluctuations always bring with it the most visual and imaginative dreams for me. Does that happen for anyone else? (And, if you love apocalyptic art, be sure to check out some of the amazing artwork from
Harriet's Imagination!)
But enough about me. I recently discovered some great tips and diy projects online that I want to share.
If you don't already know, vinegar is terrific for just about everything that has anything to do with
cleaning. (
Grab some DIY Cleaner Recipes here.) But did you also know you can use it in your dishwasher as an eco-friendly rinse aid? Not only is it all natural, but it works!
Whole New Mom suggests combining white vinegar with a little bit of food coloring and simply using it in place of your regular commercial brand rinse aid. The food color makes it easier to tell when it's time to refill than simply vinegar on its own. (
Click here for an eco-friendly dishwasher detergent recipe!) (Plus, be sure to check out
TheLSDesign if you're looking for some less than traditional, fun works of art for your kitchen! I am in LOVE with her
Tasmanian Devil Blender Hybrid Print!)
With spring creeping up, I have getting outdoors and gardening on the brain. Make pathways and gardens easy to spot at night by decorating the boundaries with glow in the dark rocks! Simply paint your favorite rocks with
Rust-Oleum Glow-in-the-Dark Brush-on Paint or
Krylon Glowz Aerosol Spray Paint.
They'll soak up the sun during the day and then glow from the day's charge at night! Apply several coats for an especially bright glow.
If you want to be extra artistic and have a knack for painting, consider painting decorative designs on your glow in the dark rocks. A black widow - like the one pictured above from
Rock Artiste - gives an even more creative touch to your garden. (For high weather areas, consider following with a polyurethane or oil base clear coat over your final project.)
Save money by making your own homemade foaming soap! Just fill a
re-usable foaming soap pump
with liquid soap and water. I like
Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap and the
Unscented Organic Liquid Castille Soap from Mountain Rose Herbs - 16oz. is just $6 plus they have a great selection of organic essential oils you can scent your soap with! Alternately, you can recycle your old commercial brand soap pump once it's empty and refill the same way you would an "empty" foaming soap pump by filling it about 4/5 of the way full with water then topping off with your soap.
Whole New Mom also suggests adding a squirt of glycerin - also available from
Mountain Rose Herbs - for extra moisture and a few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance. For more frugal homemaking ideas, check out my blog article,
Household Ideas for Pinching Pennies and Stretching Your Dime.
For more tips and DIY projects, be sure to check out
my boards on Pinterest!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for your comments!