An Update on Do-It-Yourself Laundry Soap

A while ago I did a post on how to make laundry soap. We recently bought a front-loader machine. (Love the state rebates ... got $275 back in rebates and Lowes had already marked it down 10%.)

Anyway, the grated soap, Fels-Naptha, in the recipe I was using wasn't dissolving in the new washer. I switched to Ivory soap and all is well. Works fine. (The Fels-Naptha bar is 5 1/2 oz, so I eyeballed how much Ivory would equal that, about 1 1/2 bars of the size Ivory I was using.)

Sew a Makeup Brush Holder

Another plug to learn to sew a little. This is in no way a fabulously executed craft; I just wanted to show a project you can do with very little time, money and effort.

One day I realized I could get ready faster if I had all my makeup brushes in the same order I put the makeup on. As a mom, I get interrupted about 15 times while putting on my makeup and always lose track of where I am. It ends up taking far longer than it needs to.

Anyway, I grabbed a bandanna I bought at Walmart for about 90 cents and just kind of threw this together in about 5 minutes -- no right or wrong way to do it. Nothing lines up well ... a really bad example of quality sewing, but it serves my need and I didn't have to think about it much, spend much and best of all, it really helps me get ready quicker .... when I actually put makeup on!

Back to School Supplies

It's back to school time! Even if you don't have children, it's a GREAT time to buy your household office supplies.

I bought 12 rolls of scotch tape and other supplies to hopefully last until this time next year when the deals hit again. I go through a lot of tape during the holidays and I'm hoping this will last. You can also get index cards, glue, highlighter pens, etc. for next to nothing. Spiral note books are 15 cents each at most stores!

Walmart and Target usually have really great prices and surprisingly, our local grocery store also had the dirt cheap pricing.

Interesting Quote

Here's an interesting quote I read today. At first, I thought ... "Well that's not me! I like things to look nice because I like them that way." Then I realized I could see myself in this quote ... at least somewhat. I've heard it before, but nice to ponder again. Not sure who said it.

"We spend money we don't have
on things we don't need
to create impressions that won't last
on people we don't care about."

All Purpose Cleaner I've Been Using

Here's a recipe for the cleaner I've been using lately. I wanted something cheap and a little greener than what I've been using. I think this fits the bill. I found this recipe in many places on the internet. You can use it on glass and quickly wipe up counters and toilets. It smells like vinegar at first, but then the smell goes away. You can buy vinegar in huge bottles and then buy a 99 cent water bottle at Walmart, a cheap plastic funnel and you're in business!

All-Purpose Cleaner (does glass!)
2 cups Water
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Soap

*Ps-if you've used water and vinegar to do windows in the past and it hasn't worked, it's because of the residue left from your normal glass and window cleaner. By adding the 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, it gets that residue off.

Cheap Videos

Got this stack of videos this past week. I'm sure you've noticed, but all the video stores seem to be going out of business. My sister got a lot of animated videos if you're looking for those. I purchased these for $2.00 or $3.00 each at the Hollywood Video down the street. It seems to me they clear out videos cheaper than the Blockbuster stores do. It's sad to see the employee's losing their jobs; I guess it's a business model time has passed. A good opportunity to get cheap videos though.

Sewing

A great way to save money is by using the somewhat lost art of sewing. I'm not great at sewing, but can sew a straight line. It can really save money, especially in decorating your house. Many of the things you need in your house (curtains, pillows, duvets) require very little more than knowing how your sewing machine works and how to sew a straight line. Also, if you want more designer-looking items, such as the super long curtains that go from ceiling to floor, you will either pay through the nose, or have to sew them yourself. (By-the-way, Ikea also has some good options for the long curtains.)

Here's an example of a quick project I did recently. This is a high-quality man's shirt I got for free. I took in the back to make it have a waist and shortened and tucked in the sleeves; a nice cover-up for summer. I highly recommend learning to sew (at least a little).