Bathroom Cleaners

Ok, so as you all know...I have two boys. They use the front bathroom which is also the guest bathroom.  The BOY smell had taken it over. UGH! Part of this was my fault, as we have been so busy lately...I have neglected that area. Part of this is the fact that little boys aren't SUPER aware of themselves...if you know what I mean. 

WELL.

I had had enough. Maybe it was my spider senses (I like to call my senses "spider senses" when I am prego cause they seem heightened), but I was just about to toss the entire room.

After cleaning the bathroom previously, I really didn't feel like the smell was completely gone. It lingered. I had to find something to knock this biz out for real.

So here we are. My answer. And it worked. YAY!

FOR THE SMELL: 

Mix baking soda with a little lemon juice or water until it's a pancake batter consistency. Work over the area, then let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Spray with vinegar, and wait a few minutes.

Wipe down with warm water and rag.

I was feeling so good about ridding the bathroom of the "linger", that I decided to go ahead and do my spring bathroom clean. The tile needed to be scoured badly. I came up with this...

For the grout/tile:

Again, make a mixture of peroxide and baking soda that is of pancake batter consistency. Scrub area with mixture and toothbrush (not the one you currently use). :)

Wait about 10 minutes or so, and wipe clean with warm water and rag.

I have read that some folks mix baking soda with bleach, but I didn't want to breath the fumes.

BEFORE

Not a great pic, I know...

AFTER

It really did a good job, even if my pics don't do it justice! :)

Just thought I would pass along this helpful tip!

Happy Wednesday-

Tracy

Cute Little Upcycling

Who loves a little upcycling? ME! ME!

Yep, nothing better than repurposing...even the small things.

The Hubz and I love a good tin.
For example:
But seriously, how many crazy tins can a family have sitting in the cupboard?
Not super useful (at least this one...being tiny)
I came up with this fun way to be useful while showing off that quirky dancing man.

Attach magnets to the back using ...you know it...hot glue.


There ya go. Fun little pen holder for the fridge., your desk, locker....you name it.


Got some exciting stuff come this way...can't wait to share!

Tracy

More Fun with Pretty Packing Tape

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Lynnette, had a birthday this past Friday. I sent her a little something to celebrate, and the packaging made me as happy as I hoped the gift would make her! :) Isn't it cute?! Not only did I get to use my pretty packaging tape, but I also got to recycle an everyday product package to be useful once more. SCORE!

Recently, I have become addicted to Crystal Light. I love it. Yum. I also really like these containers. They are a great shape, great size, and you can easily tear the product label off which leaves you with a blank slate to work with.

Other fun ideas for these nifty containers:
pencil boxes
crayon boxes
lego box
piggy bank
treat or snack box
food container for lunch box
cosmetic box (to take on the go)
sunglass box

Endless possibilities!

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned a giveaway coming soon? Sorry it's take so long.... but no more wait!! COMING TOMORROW....FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY!!

STAY TUNED! :)

Tracy


PS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Netterbean!!
I love you, friend!!

Canning Party? YES, PLEASE!!

** I thought this sounded pretty cool, and wanted to share it!! Thanks Freebies4Moms for posting!!**

Apply to host a Jarden Home Brand “Discover You Can” House Party on Saturday, June 25 and have your friends over to learn some canning tips. If selected as a host you will receive a free party pack containing: the Ball Discovery Kit, RealFruit Classic Pectin and Instant Pectin, coupons, Ball Collapsible Funnels and Dissolvable Labels, Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, Berry mashers, a canning flipchart with instructions, and gift bags. Remember to complete the application honestly, because they aren’t necessarily looking for hosts who can throw the biggest parties. Each party uses different criteria to select the hosts and not everyone who applies will be selected. This is a word-of-mouth marketing campaign where companies give customers an opportunity to do some advertising for them.

Garden Update

This is the sunflower that Cash and I planted before Easter.
My cherry tomatoes are the only veggies so far.



My marigolds are finally starting to bloom, too.

Homemade Detergent

Ok, so on our family's quest for "green," I have chosen to start making our own detergent. There are so many chemicals in regular detergent, and can have such a negative effect on our earth. I have wanted to make some for a while, but being a "couponer" I stock up on supplies. I had to be cost effective, and finish using what I had before jumping into the new world of "homemade." However, I am here now, and won't be going back! It was super duper easy, and CHEAP! Plus and Plus!! I used the recipe Erin posted on her blog, and true to her word...it works fantastic.

Here's how it works....
I mixed....
1 grated bar of Fels-naptha soap (2 cups)
1 grated bar of Ivory soap (1 cup)
4 cups washing soda
4 cups baking soda
4 cups borax

It takes only one tablespoon per load, so it'll last FOREVER. yay. :)

Next, I am going to try to make some dryer balls...like these. Thanks Erin for the info.

First Look at My Garden

I have wanted to plant a veggie garden since we bought our home 5 years ago. There was always something that kept me from doing it...time, mostly. Anyway, I finally planted one this year, and I am super excited. It's not big, just a little one to start with, as I didn't want to get in over my head. Here's the pics from the garden, and my window boxes that just got their seasonal change over to impatiens...OH, and an unpdate on our little sunflowers that Cash and I planted.
The flower boxes...
The rapidly growing sunflowers...
The peppers...
The squash, cherry tomatoes, zucchini
And the carrots...or where the carrots will sprout from. :)

HAPPY HAPPY EARTH DAY!

I hope all of you are having a healthy Earth Day so far. If you're still wondering how to celebrate the planet today, here are some simple suggestions to get you in the spirit of things. Just remember — reduce, reuse, recycle!

1.Make Lunchtime Greener
Check out these tips to make lunchtime more eco-minded, from what you eat to how you pack it. If you plan on eating meat tomorrow, try roasting your own turkey meat instead of buying it prepackaged. Don't forget to pack everything up in a reusable BPA-free container!
2.Green Your Fitness
There are plenty of ways to make your fitness regimen earth-friendly, from exercising outdoors to renting fitness DVDs from the library. Don't forget to wear your eco-friendly gear!

3.Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
When it comes to gear, make sure you're doing your part to help the planet. Look for gear that is made with eco-friendly materials in sustainable ways (like these New Balance sneaks). Use Craigslist to look for gently used fitness equipment, and make sure to recycle old gear when you're done with it.

4.Make It a Meatless Day
Cutting down on meat consumption is good for the environment, plain and simple. But if the thought of giving up a juicy burger is too much for you, go vegetarian just for the day. Try to up the ante by doing it at least once a week.

5.Unplug
Give your eyes and mind a break and unplug from your TV and laptop for the day. Not only does it save energy, it will also give you time to unwind, read a book, or meet with a friend.

I know I am going to finish planting my garden this evening, as well as take up some stores' freebie Earth Day offers....here's the ones I found and are interested in:

Walgreens: Bring your empty (or nearly empty) ink cartridges to Walgreens to get them refilled for only $1! Details HERE

Origins: Bring an old or empty cleanser into any store with an Origins counter, and get a FREE Full-Size Origins Cleanser! Details HERE

Home Depot: Stop by Home Depot to get your FREE TREE! Details HERE

Books-A-Million: Bring in a re-usable travel mug to Books-A-Million tomorrow, and they'll fill it free! You'll also get a FREE packet of seeds! - Thanks, SouthernSavers!

I can't wait to get my free tree!

EARTH DAY: 10 Things You Can Do To Help

Wondering how you can make a difference? Here are 10 things you can do to help the planet, whether it's Earth Day or not.

1. Leave your car at home for a day (or a week or a month) and try walking or biking. If work is too far away to walk, take public transit or carpool. One city bus eliminates the emissions of 40 cars.

2. Turn off the lights, the computer and the television when they are not in use. Using only highly efficient and money-saving appliances can reduce the electricity consumption of an average household to one-10th of the national average.

3. Try eating meat-free at least one day a week. A meat-based diet requires seven times more land than a plant-based diet. Livestock production is responsible for more climate change gasses than all the motor vehicles in the world.

4. Choose foods produced organically, locally and in season. Support your regional farmers and farming industry: buying locally and in season is better for the environment than buying foods that have been shipped hundreds of kilometres to your local market.

5. Put a composter in your backyard or use your green bin to reduce household waste. Composting organics has two key benefits: it reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and when added to your garden, helps nourish soil and plants.

6. Turn off your car's engine if stopped for more than 10 seconds. If every driver of a light-duty vehicle avoided idling by five minutes a day, collectively, we would save 1.8 million litres of fuel per day, almost 4500 tonnes of GHG emissions.

7. Set your thermostat above room temperature in the summer and below room temperature in the winter. For each degree you adjust, you can save 5% on your utility bill and 1% on your energy use.

8. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). A CFL uses only 25% as much energy as an incandescent bulb and lasts 10 times longer.

9. The simple act of recycling has more impact on the environment than the average American thinks. The amount of wood and paper North Americans throw away each year is enough to heat five million homes for 200 years.

10. This is a great opportunity to brag. Tell someone what you're doing to make the world a better place. Support the cause. Encourage them to get involved too.

Source: Earth Day Canada

What's your Earth Day IQ?

I found this little quiz, and thought it would be fun to share it with all of you. Check it out.

Earth Day is Coming

Earth Day should really be everyday, however...this Thursday is the "official" Earth Day. This year, my family has really put forth an effort to be more GREEN. I won't say we have arrived, but we are on our way. We have been taking small steps toward a goal in hopes of making these lifestyle changes stick. The first thing we did was start recycling. This was pretty easy since Chattanooga offers curbside recycling, and does the work for us. The second thing we implemented was taking reusable bags with us to the store. This is a no brainer. Then we started cutting back on boxed food, and reaching for more fresh (locally grown) produce. This can be a bit harder, especially with kids. Our most recent endeavor was starting our own garden. We are starting on a small scale, as with everything else, but hope to expand it next summer. Right now we are growing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, squash, zucchini, and carrots. Lastly, we are researching how to make our own compost bin, and will be starting that ASAP.

We are super interested in having chickens for fresh eggs, but aren't sure about the city ordinances concerning this. We'll have to check that out. Bees are pretty much out, too, but having a hive is on our wish list. If we can't make or raise our own, I would love to be able to buy locally grown or raised at the farmer's market downtown. I think going will be a great habit to start this summer when I am out of school.

I have also found some interesting recipes for laundry soap, diswasher soap, and deodorant that I plan to try as soon as I get a free moment.

The idea, for me, is not just to eat organically, or for best nutrition. That is great, but the idea for me is to do what's best for my body, and my Earth. I know we are nowhere near where we should be, but we ARE on the journey to that destination. If you just look at the grand scheme of things, it can be overwhelming. My advice is to just take small, measurable, and doable steps. Once those steps are routine, take another couple of steps, and so on. You will be surprised with yourself, how good you feel, and how motivated you become to continue.

Here are some great blogs/websites that can help you get going....

Amy Fights the Fat
Green Guide
Green is Sexy
The Go Green Blog