DIY Chemical Free Dryer Sheets

Winter is coming.

So is static cling.

I used to pop a couple of tennis balls into the dryer as a fabric softener free way to fight static cling until Lacey came to live with us. The sound of bouncing  tennis balls she can't play with drives her (and us) bazonkers!

Dumping the dryer balls for summer worked OK but I need to come up with a less noisy and non toxic chemical free solution to keep us from getting shocked by static electricity from our clothes during the dry winter months.

 Becky from Glue and Glitter  was in a similar situation and made a fantastic solution - DIY Dryer Sheets!

Check out Glue and Glitter's DIY Dryer Sheet tutorial here.

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Shredded Cardboard Mulch

Husband and I are so occupied with an interior house wide, declutter and donate mission that we haven’t paid much attention to the outside of the house.


By the time we realized we should keep our lovely compost and spendy topsoil from eroding during the winter with mulch, the stores replaced their garden supplies with Christmas decorations.

True story.

Last year I thought I was being a smarty smart when I raked all of the fallen leaves from the front yard into the flower beds to use as leaf mulch.

That didn’t work very well. I didn’t shred the leaves. The first big gust of wind blew my leaf mulch out of the flower beds and back into the yard.

Covered Kitchen Storage Boxes

My kitchen is shrinking.

Not really but it feels that way.

We have one cupboard we use to store food. The rest of the cupboards hold dishes, cups, and stuff we want  to keep but don’t use often. In my dream kitchen all of these special dishes and things would live on the tippy top shelves of cupboards that go all the way to the ceiling so they are accessible but not in the every day way.

A kitchen remodel isn’t in the plan this year. Moving to a bigger house is too much work. I need to find some space in the kitchen I have.

I found it!

I know I’m supposed to like having a decorating space on top of my kitchen cabinets. I tried hanging plates on the wall because that is what you are supposed to do in a kitchen, right? I didn’t like it. I tried groupings of doodads on top of the cabinets - meh. I just can’t make it work.

Topsy Turvey Bookcases

I was beyond happy when we bought our house and replaced our mish mosh of overflowing bookshelves with one wall of matching bookshelves in our computer room.  Seeing all of our books in one place made me giddy.

Then we bought more books.

And a few more.

And a few more.

We could use more shelves.

I started poking around for arty book shelves because it is way more fun than sorting through and donating our old and outdated books. Yes, yes. I’ll get to it. It is on the punch list for our computer room revamp project.

In the meantime, let’s have some fun and check out some crazy fun bookshelves. For what they don’t hold in the amount of stuff, they make up for in the amount of whimsy they add to a room.

I can’t help but look at the Woodcurve Curved Bookshelf  and smile. This piece was inspired by the Dr. Seuss books as are several of the pieces in Woodcurve’s Etsy shop.

Warning: Curves Ahead!

How to Buy a Dishwasher: What I Bought and Why I Bought It

Long time readers know I am a fix it instead of replace it kind of gal. It is cheaper, it is greener, and it allows me to have a little more money leftover to sometimes spoil Lacey.


I want Lisa to use her smart shopping skillz to keep me rolling in grass fed T bone steaks!

Except when it comes to my High Efficiency (HE) dishwasher. At first, I liked the idea of saving water while it cleaned our dishes.  Later a plumber told us since HE dishwashers use less water, the water heat up cycle is shorter than a standard dishwasher, and we have to jack the heat on the water heater to remove the grit on my clean dishes problem.

Husband wryly observed, “We can save water, or natural gas but not both.”

How to Clean Dog Pee from Carpet WITHOUT a Carpet Cleaning Machine

Potty training Lacey is a challenge. She was litter box trained and could go pretty much when and where she wanted in her former home.

Guess what? She does here too.

Potty training Lacey to go outside was even more difficult because all of her barks where the same high pitched and loud (girlfriend is part dachshund. They are not exactly soft barkers) freaked out alert barks that we couldn't tell which one is a potty bark and which one is a  freaking out over the noises of close neighbors bark.

The result? Cleaning up a lot of pee and poo accidents might ruin the current and all future carpets in our house. Most some days we're cleaning up more than one and are frustrated and tired to haul the carpet cleaning machine from the closet to clean up the mess.

DIY His and Hers Diva, Maestro Signs

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FrogTape brand painter’s tape for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

While shifting items around in my craft room I found two blank plaques I bought to make His and Hers signs for the house. I figure it is about time I do the project but with a twist. Instead of labeling our items His and Hers, I invoked our old renaissance festival characters and made Diva and Maestro  signs.

How to Make Diva and Maestro Signs

13 DIY Craft Storage Ideas

I’m taking the opportunity to rethink how I organize my craft supplies as part of my craft room/guest room remodel. When I bought our house my main hobby was sewing and costume design. All of my other craft supplies fit into my vintage wood crate storage drawers.

Don’t worry. I am not giving these beauties up! 
They will get a tweak in the new room. Stay tuned!

Soda Six Pack Organizers kept all six of my craft paints organized.

Well, OK. This is a beer six pack organizer. I have several soda six pack holders covered with wrapping paper organizing other bits and bobs throughout the house and in my craft room.

How to Make a Fake Vintage Wood Crate

I need more food storage space in my kitchen. I know, I know who doesn't?

In my case we have one three shelf cupboard that holds actual food and the other cabinets hold dishes, mugs, and a bunch of empty mason jars waiting for our garden to ripen.

Replacing the current kitchen cabinets with my dream of cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling isn't on the 2013 DIY List. Someday, but not today.

 Where can I find space in our small kitchen?

How to Make a Front Car Seat Protector

Husband came home from running on the trail in one of our city parks on a recent hot day. I jumped into the car after he used it and OH. MY. GOD.

Now I  understand why dogs hang their heads out of open car windows.

This doesn't happen to Husband because both Lacey and I always smell like flowers after a workout.

To his credit, Husband tries to cover the car seat with a trash bag he has stashed in the trunk. Well, until I toss the fetid mess and decontaminate the trunk and car. Rinse. Repeat.

Old towels don't work either. I need something that absorbs but has a barrier to protect the car seat and is washable. Washable is a MUST. 

How to Clean Dog Urine from Carpet and Keep Your Dog from Peeing on the Carpet Again

Lacey piddles, poos, or sometimes vomits when she gets anxious or has a doggie panic attack. Building Lacey’s confidence with our behaviorist will take time and we are ready to take as much time as Lacey needs to conquer her fear demons.

In the meantime, I’m cleaning pet carpet stains and removing dog urine marks on my carpet in a way that the dog doesn't urine mark that spot again.

Hey everyone! Look what I did!

Of course once I take care of one area, Lacey thwarts me and uses a different part of the house the next time she gets upset and we start this song and dance all over again. And again. And again.

I'm an expert on cleaning dog pee, dog poo, and dog vomit from floors and carpeting - be jealous.

11 Pretty Summer Things to Inspire Your Home Decor

While running errands and being otherwise frazzled during one of those weeks, I needed a little Me Time to recharge my creative brain. One way I do that is to look at pretty home decor eye candy. 

That's how I found myself in Homegoods after buying dog food for Lacey. This isn't a sponsored post or ad or anything. It just so happens we buy Lacey's human grade ingredient and only full of good stuff  dog food at a regional pet store that just so happens to share a shopping center with a Marshall's/Homegoods and  sometimes eye candy drive bys happen.

Let's "shop" for home decor and DIY ideas and inspiration!

First up, are mint green shabby chic, pretend antique candle holders. One thing I like about this particular store (other than it is close to home) is they put together some since shelf displays in the dinnerware section. It is hard to tell from my cell phone photos, that the candleholders are displayed with the pseudo jadeite light green dishware and decor. The light green color is what makes this mismatch of items into a pretty display that works. This is something anyone can do to make what you already have look less of a hodge podge of stuff you have and like and more like a purposeful and spendy display of stuff you have and like for zero dollars. Not to mention the whole the greenest thing is to use what you already own thing.

I laugh to myself when I see a ready made knock off made to look like something a DIYer did or found in a antique/junk shop. Although I realize not that everyone has access to those real goodies or  time to redo them. A few fake goodies somehow have found their way into my house for the same reason.

12 Tips for Low Waste Air Travel

I love to travel and have always hated dealing with checked luggage even before airlines started charging for it. Through many trips for pleasure and business I have packing a suitcase down to a science. I can travel almost anywhere – including a week in England – with a carry on suitcase and a backpack as my personal item.

 Air Travel Packing Tips 

Homemade Lavender All-purpose Cleaner

I made a super scum busting and disinfecting all-purpose cleaner that is all natural AND smells like the sweet, sweet smell of all natural lavender.

Lavender is a natural antiseptic. In fact, medics in World War I bound soldier’s wounds with sprigs of lavender to fight infection when their regular medications ran low.

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, which makes it a great natural cleaner for most things although not everyone is fond of the smell.

After some DIY cleaner experiments with my lavender bush based on last winter’s all-purpose orange cleaner recipe, I came up a super scum busting antiseptic disinfecting all natural all-purpose cleaner

How to Make Lavender Antiseptic and Disinfecting All-Purpose Cleaner

Make a Yardstick Drawer Organizer in 15 Minutes!

Welcome to the most disorganized drawer in my kitchen.

It drives me crazy!

  

 I'll teach you how to build an easy drawer organizer that will 

take you from cluttered to calm in 15 minutes tops!  

This drawer is just small enough that every drawer organizer on the market won’t fit inside the drawer - or at least it seems that way.

One day, I got fed up with my disorganized drawer and decided to do something about it. I built a quick custom kitchen drawer organizer from what I had on hand – yardsticks!

How to Make a Simple Shelf with Recycled Fence Boards

Hands up. Who does not want more storage space in their bathroom?

Anyone?

I thought so. Me too.

I keep an extra bottle of shampoo, toiletries, etc.around because if I run out of something it is when I am in the middle of using it. Keeping an extra on deck also allows me to buy the plant based items we like to use when they go on sale for Earth Day. I buy them now and save them for later.

I need a place to store/hide/stuck this stuff in my small house, preferably in the bathrooms where I will be using it. It should be accessible but also hidden because no one needs to stare at my big bottle of castile soap waiting to be opened.

I have just the place – over the bathroom door.

To keep this year’s DIY New Year's Resolution, I’m going to use what I have on hand first. 

I hung a pair of plaster corbels from our old place in the master bathroom because I didn’t know what to do with that wall (I still don’t.) They aren’t working as little display shelves. I think they will work better as shelf supports.

I will use the second corbel to make an over the door shelf for the master bathroom.

How to Make Air Freshener Spray the Natural Way!

I put new unlit soy candles in my bathroom to work as an air freshener. Once the smell of the essential oils in the candle fades, I burn them (attended) after dinner to remove cooking smells and for overall candle light goodness.

I’m sure you are aware of those times when a bathroom air freshener needs a little  immediate help to clear the room of…uh…um…odor.

I don’t like most commercial room sprays because they smell as a fake flower factory exploded in my bathroom. Moreover, that’s what they make those room sprays from – a fake synthetic chemical concoction. Boo. Hiss.

Does a room freshener exist without the synthetic ingredients?  It sure does if you make it yourself!

And at a fraction of the cost of a commercial air freshener spray to boot!

  

DIY Air Freshener Spray

Why Won't My Dishwasher Wash Dishes?

Who knew a high efficiency dishwasher is also high maintenance? Since high efficiency (HE) dishwashers use less water, the water heat up cycle is shorter than a standard dishwasher. That means an HE dishwasher needs hotter water going into the dishwasher than a standard dishwasher, which heats a boatload of water first. A plumber told me if I turned up the heat on my hot water heater, I would get rid of the grit on my clean dishes problem.

Husband wryly observed we could save either water or natural gas but not both.

Yeah, yeah. All is not lost. I can hand wash dishes. Having a house with

 a dishwasher made me realize how much I hate hand washing dishes.

Then there is the dishwashing detergent. My dishwasher likes either the very expensive (Seventh Generation) or the very cheap (Aldi) detergent. I switched between powder and liquid for no reason other than availability or price. The dishwasher was happy. I had clean dishes. That makes me happy because I hate hand washing dishes.

All of a sudden, my dishwasher decides it doesn’t like the liquid detergent. It left food stuck randomly to “washed” dishes and silverware. Gross.

DIY Dog Tail Coat Rack

 I have dog.

She has lots of stuff.

Most of  Lacey’s stuff is for taking walks. Her leash, towel, et al is in the drawer of a small step stool by the front door.

In theory.

Most days it looks like this.

 Clutter makes me cranky!

All that junk spilling up and over the step stool means I can’t use it to see out of the peephole in the front door.

That. Short.

Husband thinks this is hysterical.

I think it is time Lacey supervises her first DIY project.

How to Organize Dog Leashes

10 More Ways to Use Orange Peels

I always look forward to the winter citrus season so I can stuff my face with sweet juicy oranges.  I always end up with many orange peels. I can’t compost orange peels but didn’t want to throw them away. Orange peels have to be good for something.

That’s when I did some research and found out orange peels are very useful. I posted about 10 Easy Ways to Use Orange Peels (you can read the post here) and I started to put those orange peels to good reuse. Since that post I experimented, researched, and found 10 more easy ways to reuse orange peels. 

  Save this idea to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

If I don’t have enough orange peels for a project, I either store orange peels in a container the freeze or let the orange peels dry on a tray for a few days (no oven or dehydrator needed!) and store them in a jar in my pantry until I have the amount I need.