Quick and Easy Lavender Bath Salt Recipe for Sore Muscles and Itchy Skin

No matter how well I try to protect myself from my pollen allergies, I often end up with itchy skin and sore muscles after a day spent tending to plants in my garden.

That’s when I like to indulge in my favorite bedtime ritual. I find that the best way I found to soothe itchy skin and sore muscles is with a nice, relaxing bath with soothing DIY bath salts.

This easy recipe combines Epson and sea salts, known for their muscle-relaxing properties, with baking soda, which can sooth itchy and irritated skin, and is quick and easy to make. It also is a fantastic handmade gift idea for anyone in need of a little pampering.

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Joann’s Fabrics and Crafts is Broken and Here’s How to Fix It

If you've ever wondered why Joann Fabric and Crafts corporate office seems to make purposefully terrible business decisions, let me assure you – it's not in your head. The truth is, the upper management at Joann’s has a long history of being completely out-of-touch with their stores and customers. This finally led to the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2024.

Joann Fabrics made 210.9 million to 212.9 million in profit dollars and added 9 million new customers by the end of the 2020 fiscal year.  A lot of this is due to 2020 lock downs when people were turning to old and new hobbies to pass the time. If Joann's corporate was smart and paid attention to what their customers want and need, Joann’s would still be riding this customer wave, but they didn’t.

Going from being profitable to bankruptcy in four short years takes a lot of talent in upper management to screw up a company that much. Corporate tries to explain it away by saying customers are skipping discretionary spending, but that’s only a tiny piece of the puzzle. Do you know what people do in tough times? Make, repair, or upcycle things instead of buying a new one.  There is a reason visible mending is a popular trend right now! It sure would be nice to buy a cute iron on patch at Joann’s to fix my favorite pair of jeans but I can’t. Those shelves at my store are practically bare and have been for a long time.

I took these photos of my local Joann Fabrics store in February 2024. Please share this article with your friends!

How to Replace a Folding Camp Stool Seat

I bought two folding camp stools to use as foot stools on my front porch last year. I like that the folding stools are versatile. I don’t like that Michael's didn’t have two with matching fabric. Not to mention the fabric is pretty cheesy and cheap.

Let’s fix that.

 

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It’s time for a folding camp stool makeover!

Easy Coat Closet Organization Makeover!

Our coat closet is supposed to be for coats and hats, but it turns into a big mess because we store all kinds of things in there. I regularly clean and organize it, but it always ends up messy again. The closet organizer that came with our condo isn't good enough because we keep more than just coats and winter gear in there.

 This coat closet needs better organization and a makeover! 

 

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DIY Stylish Throw Blanket Storage

On cold nights, I find myself reaching for one of the many handmade throw blankets I have scattered throughout my house. Lacey, my dog, is drawn to these cozy blankets like a magnet.  In fact, she loves them so much that she often takes over the entire blanket, leaving me no choice but to grab a second one for myself. Which is why more often than not, I use a throw blanket.

As a result of the crafty women in my family, I have amassed quite the collection of hand-knit and crochet throws. However, storing them in our coat closet has become a chaotic challenge.

Coat closet BEFORE - Yikes!

Our coat closet is a disaster! It's overflowing with random items, and the blankets contribute to the chaos. I knew I needed a better storage solution for our beloved handmade throws.

Easy Beginner Women's Hat and Mittens Crochet Patterns

I am always on the lookout for unique and stylish winter accessories. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the perfect winter hat in stores. That's when I turned to Pinterest, where I stumbled upon the ideal beanie - but as a crochet pattern, not for sale. With the help of my talented mother-in-law, I rediscovered the art of crocheting, which I had learned as a child from my grandmother.

I spent countless hours perfecting my skills, starting with simple wash and dust cloths and gradually working my way up to a scarf made from practice yarn. Finally, I felt confident enough to tackle the hat pattern that started the relearning process, so I splurged on some luxurious alpaca blend yarn (you can buy alpaca blend yarn similar to the type I used here ) and followed Crochet Dreamz's DIY Crochet Hat pattern the Jenna Beanie. To add a touch of fun, I topped it off with a leopard print pom pom (you can buy similar faux fur pom poms like I used here.) (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

 

But then, as fate would have it, I finished the hat just in time for Spring. So it sat untouched until this December, when I finally had the chance to wear a winter hat. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait! The chunky alpaca yarn keeps me toasty warm, and the softness of the fibers is the most luxurious I've ever felt (and I have many, many knit and crochet gifts that I love and use.) 

 

This is the warmest winter hat I own 

Some may argue that I should have used 100% alpaca fiber yarn for this project, but as someone who is forgetful when it comes to chucking all of the laundry from the hamper and into the washer and dryer, I prefer blends that will survive a machine wash. 

 

With one skein of yarn left over, I was in search of a one skein project that I could work on while traveling. That's when I discovered Make and Do Crew's 3-Hour Crochet Mittens pattern. I've always struggled to find gloves that fit my small hands, so I was excited to try my hand at crocheting my own. Though the pattern proved to be a little more challenging than I anticipated, I still managed to complete a cozy pair of custom size mittens (which took me longer than three hours, because I crochet slow.) 

 

I am smitten with my chunky crochet mittens! 

I also learned through this project that the best way for me to actually finish a crochet project is to be either be trapped in an airport or in a metal tube hurtling through the sky. Good to know. 

 

 

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How to Repair an Adjustable Dress Form

Lola, my trusty adjustable dress form mannequin, has been through some wear and tear. Her cover is peeling and her base is constantly falling over. It's no wonder, really. After so many years of being poked and prodded with pins I’d be a bit tipsy and unglued too.

Poor Lola.

Lola is still usable and I especially rely my dress form’s adjustability and functionality for commissioned sewing projects. She just needs a little makeover and refurbish that keeps her adjustable and not as a decoration. 

 

The sewing mannequin's plastic dials are difficult to adjust and need attention too.

 To renovate my adjustable dressmaker mannequin I decided to start at the bottom and work my way up.

How to Make a Faux Holly Berry Garland

I bought a prelit holly garland to use as a Christmas decoration. Almost immediately, the fake foam holly berries either chipped to show the white foam underneath or fell off the plastic stems completely.

The LED lights still work and the holly leaves look fine although the garland looks a little naked without the holly berries.

I made faux holly berries for my Christmas garland. Here’s how.

 

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How to Make Faux Fake Holly Berries

How to Make a Christmas Dinosaur Decoration

I took part in the best Christmas Gift Exchange where the theme was Handmade, Regifted, or Thrifted. I made my person some lovely chocolates and wanted to tuck a little extra thing into their gift.

Once I spotted a plastic T Rex toy, I found my joy, and went about turning the T Rex toy into Chompy the Christmas Dinosaur decoration. Chompy not only delivers presents to the good little girls and boys, but he also takes care of your enemies and those who give you grief.

Let’s make Christmas Dinosaur Decorations!

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You will need:

How to Use Any Brand Razor Blade in a Leaf Safety Razor

I decided to give shaving with a safety razor similar to this one a try after seeing the rising cost of disposable razors and cartridge razor blades. I got a nice, nick free shave the first time I used my standard safety razor. Great! I finally found a solution I thought. (Disclosure I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

Until I nicked, gashed, and cut myself on every shave since.

I was ready to dump the safety razor until I read a thread from someone in a similar situation on a frugal living forum. Many folks in the comment section empathized and even more recommended shaving with a Leaf safety razor like this one. The difference being that the Leaf safety razor has three blades and a pivoting head just like the cartridge razors I used with much better success.

The Leaf is more expensive than a standard safety razor but I decided to buy one because that was the only negative anyone had to say about it. Particularly since this was a frugal living group who want good results for less money (eventually) and not a green living group that will put up with bad performance for the sake of a zero waste living (glares at my safety razor.)

The only concern I had was that Leaf razors use what looked like a proprietary safety razor blade. Turns out, you can use any brand of safety razor blade that looks like this in a Leaf razor if you cut the razor blade in half. 

How to Install Standard Safety Razor Blades in to a Leaf Safety Razor

 

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How to Make a DIY Yeti Cooler

Our coolers don't keep food cold enough for as long as we'd like. While the body has insulation, the lids do not. I began searching for an upgrade.

When it comes to coolers and cold boxes, it seems there are only two options:

1. Fairly cheap eskies with minimal insulation in the lid and body that only keep food cold for a day or less.

2. Expensive chilly bins that are heavily insulated, bear-proof, and keep food cold for almost a week.

While I value quality, I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars just to keep food cold for a few weekends a year. Additionally, I'm struggling to find a well-insulated cooler in the compact size of our favorite Playmate cooler.

Wondering if you can insulate a Playmate cooler to match the performance of a Yeti cooler? Yes you can! Not only that, but your DIY Yeti cooler will also weigh much less when it is empty.

Here's how to do it.

How to Hack a Cooler to Make it Colder

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Front Porch Makeover Reveal

Since we rarely use our lovely front porch, it's time to give it some attention after focusing on our back patio last year.

 I call this decorating style Hey, what do we do with this stuff from our old house? Put it on the porch for now, we'll style it later. 

How to Make Quick and Easy Outdoor Coasters

I added a new seating area with a tempered glass topped side table to my front porch. I’m a little concerned about placing hot coffee cups directly onto the glass and am in need of a coaster or two.

Let’ s make some outdoor coasters!

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I considered sewing a set of cute coasters from outdoor fabric until a very windy day reminded me that I need something with a little more weight. Otherwise, I’ll have to keep rescuing my porch decorations from my neighbor’s yard.

How to Waterproof a Nylon Camping Tent

Last year the tent floor leaked in a few spots of water here, even though we put a tarp down first. We let the tent air out and dry in the garage before putting it away for the year. Can you add extra waterproofing to a tent and floor? 

Yes you can! Here’s how.  

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Selecting the Right Waterproofing Products

Before diving into the actual waterproofing process, it's crucial to select the right products that will effectively provide a waterproof barrier for your nylon camping tent. With so many options available on the market, it can be overwhelming to make a decision. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the right products for your tent.

First, consider the type of waterproofing product you want to use. There are two main types: 

Rain Barrel Planter Renovation!

One of the first garden improvement projects I did after we bought our condo was to install a rain barrel that looks like a rock in my front yard. I figured (correctly) that if my rain barrel looks more like a lawn ornament I wouldn’t get the stink eye from my neighbors or my Homeowner’s Association.

But mostly I wanted something that looks nice since I have to look at it.

The only downside is that the rain barrel is one solid piece and almost impossible to clean when leaves and whatnot block the spigot from the inside of the rain barrel. After many years of service, the rain barrel started to leak. Instead of trying to repair it again, I decided to replace it with this exact decorative rain barrel planter that is easier to clean and winterize. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

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DIY Outdoor Plant Hanger

I have a bunch of pea seeds left from last year’s garden by design. I need to find a better way to plant them so the vines don’t take over my small patio container garden like they did last summer.

The heavy duty plant hanging eye bolt similar to this kind I used years ago and largely ignored gave me the inspiration to try growing peas in a hanging planter. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

Spoiler alert: All of the hanging planters I found were so high off the ground they required my short little self to pull out a step stool to water them. I hate dragging out a step ladder to store things normal people can reach. That’s why anything above my head is dead to me – including hanging plants.

I considered a macrame plant hanger but I wasn’t sure how well cotton or jute cording would hold up outside. And again, the hangs the plant too high and over my head thing.

The only solution was to make an outdoor plant hanger myself. 

 

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How to Stretch Tight Shoes the Fast and Easy Way

I recently bought a pair of these exact Naot Women's Borasco shoes after a friend recommended them as a cute and comfortable work/walking/dress up or down travel shoe (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.) My friend did not do me wrong. Ilove everything about the shoes except for one minor thing:

I’m having some pain and discomfort because of the new leather is stiff so the shoes are a little too tight.

I don’t have time to have my shoes stretched at the shoe repair shop or at home with a pair of shoe stretchers. I need to break my new shoes in fast and make them more comfortable in the heel and ball of my foot for an upcoming event. Fortunately, there is a simple and effective way to stretch new shoes quickly – and it is cheap too!

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How to Custom Stretch Tight Shoes with Hot 

Water

Easy Porch Light Update

Now that we are moving on in to warm Spring weather (in theory. This is the Midwest after all. We can experience all 4 seasons in one week just to keep things interesting) it's the perfect opportunity to spiff up, renovate, and decorate our front porch and yard.

Which shoots a long overdue project to the top of our porch project punch list: replace the overhead porch lights!

Our porch light fixtures are original to the house and not made to last. The entire fixture is made of plastic and was so brittle it broke apart when I gently shuttled it from the porch ceiling to a waiting garbage can. There was no salvaging any part of this light fixture and truthfully, we didn't want to either. 

 

Please excuse the dirt and yuck in these photos. Pressure washing the porch is on the list - honest!

 The hunt for new porch lights was on!

How to Drill a Hole in Ceramic, Porcelain, and Stone Tile

One day after refilling the conditioner in this hanging soap and shampoo Dispenser , The pump bottle refused to snap into place, lurched from the wall, and tried to kill me. I bobbed. It weaved. The bottle crashed to the floor and cracked. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

One of the things I like about the Dispenser is that you can buy replacement parts. I did so several times over its lifetime. However, this time I needed so many new parts it ended up costing as much money as if I bought a new wall mounted shampoo and conditioner pump.

Since my Dispenser was looking shabby and I think we got more than our money’s worth out of it considering it was a yard sale purchase, I bought a replacement.

I bought this exact Simple Human Double Wall Mount Shower Pump because we really only use two pumps out of the original four. From reviews, it is sturdier (I see the same dispenser in hotels so it has to be durable to take constant abuse) which means I may not have to replace the pumps over time. I love that!

The only negative according to the reviews is the bracket adhesive is not as strong as the adhesive the Dispenser uses. There were reports of the Simple Human dispenser falling off the wall after all of the instructions were followed. Not a huge deal because the Simple Human dispenser also comes with screws and wall anchors. I grabbed my drill and got ready to answer the question,

How Do you Drill a Hole in Tile?

New Self Watering Patio Vegetable Garden Tour

Every year my husband and I come home from the nursery with more plants and seeds than we have pots in our container garden even though we swear we aren’t going to do it this year. 

Honest. 

Promise. 

We swear.

And totally ignore when we are buying plants and seeds. 

At least we are consistent.

We really don’t use the patio for anything other than a few potted plants.I finally made peace with myself that we will never be a hanging out on the patio around a fire pit kind of family (sad face.) Since our eyes and shopping cart are always bigger than our space and with supply chain issues and inflation we decided to turn the entire patio into a vegetable garden which more than doubled the amount of room we have to grow vegetables in a small space.

 

 Patio container garden BEFORE

DIY Bathroom Vanity Upgrade

I found patches of black mold on our bathroom vanity, wall, and subfloor due to several micro leaks and needed to replace everything in the bathroom.

Which is totally fine because we hated the builder grade bathroom vanity with a passion.

I demoed, replaced and leveled the subfloor, and laid new tile. Now it’s time to update and upgrade the bathroom vanity. 

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How to Light a Room without a Ceiling Light Fixture

For some baffling reason, two bedrooms in my house do not have wiring for ceiling lights. I’m not sure why the builder though that some folks in a house doesn’t deserve overhead lighting like the main bedroom but here we are.

I originally solved our room lighting issue with placing four halogen desk lights on top of the bookshelves that line the wall in our office. This worked well for years until it didn’t. The light bulbs started to burn out more frequently. Replacement light bulbs seemed to burn less brightly (I used the same wattage) and even more puzzling, a random light would blink one day and be fine the next.

 

Overhead office lights BEFORE

Easy Moss Stitch Crochet Scarf and Ear Warmer

While poking around on Pinterest (follow me on Pinterest @condoblues pretty please?) for new and different beginner friendly crochet stitches, I kept coming back to projects using the moss stitch. I recently made Stitching Toghether's Moss Stitch Ear Warmer pattern (a quick and easy scrap yarn project, by the way) and liked is so much (and got compliments when I wore it) that I wanted to try to make her matchingCrochet Moss Stitch Scarf pattern

I need a thicker winter scarf. Fortunately I found a skein of yarn in my yarn stash I bought to make a practice crochet project that I forgot what I had planned to make with it.

Ain’t that just the way?

(To quote my favorite mini- series, Over the Garden Wall.You can watch it here. ) (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

So I got these two crazy kids together and crocheted a cute winter scarf

 

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How to Prevent Cabbage Worms and Garden Pests the Easy Way!

For the 2023 gardening season depending upon how it goes in 2022

One summer, my husband and I tried growing a cabbage from its stem. Once it grew a good set of roots, I planted it outside in our container garden. 

Where we learn just how much cabbage worms love cabbage. We vowed never to plant cabbage again. 

 

We were successful growing the cabbage and Romain lettuce. The celery failed us.

So what did I do? I decided to grow broccoli, kohlrabi, and bok choy thinking the seeds would be a better gardening investment because those fresh vegetables can be on the more expensive side in the grocery store.It was only after I got home that I learned I bought a bunch of seeds in the brassicas (cabbage) family.

We were right back where we started. Because not only do cabbage worms like to eat and destroy cabbage plants, they also like chowing down on broccoli, kohlrabi, and baby bok choy.

Fortunately there is an easy one and done way to prevent cabbage worms from wreaking havoc on your vegetables: use floating row covers. 

How to Use Floating Row Covers on Container Garden Flower Pots and Planters

How to Repair Rips, Tears, and Holes in a Sleeping Bag

I tried washing one of our sleeping bags in my washing machine thinking it would fit since I washed our other sleeping bag in this same machine.

Turns out I was wrong.

 

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Note to self: Next time go to a laundry mat and wash the sleeping bags using a big industrial size washer and dryer.

We invested in buying a good Coleman cold weather sleeping bag similar to this one. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.) It’s in my best interest to repair it since the rest of the sleeping bag is perfectly fine and would be a bit expensive to replace for cosmetic reasons. I’d rather spend that cash on extra s’more supplies to be honest.

Fortunately, repairing a sleeping bag is easy and may already have what you to need to fix at home.

How to Repair Sleeping Bag Rips, Holes, and Tears the Easy Way!

Easy DIY Christmas Peg Doll Gnome Tutorial

 Do you know what is better than making little wood peg doll gnomes?

Making GIANT wood peg doll gnomes!

I made and donated a giant (well, according to the store. I was looking for the biggest I could get) peg doll gnome that looks like the character I play at renaissance fairs and Christmas festivals and donated it to a charity silent auction.

My giant peg doll gnome makes a cute decoration (whether for Christmas or for everyday home decor,) a quick DIY gift idea, or toy depending upon how you decorate the peg doll base. Let’s make!

In Denmark, they call gnomes nisse and that’s where I took the name for my gnome character Nissa.

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How to Make DIY Christmas Gnomes

 

Two Quick and Easy DIY Woven Heart Mug Cozies

I have a set of double wall stainless steel barrel mugs similar to this kind (I am including affiliate links for your convenience) that quickly the household MVP of mugs. My husband usually keeps his in the freezer to keep his cold beverages extra cold. I like keeping a hot drink in mine while I’m preforming during outdoor Christmas events – instant hand warmer AND hot chocolate all in one!

Not bad at all for a couple of free promotional mugs. What’s not to like about that?

Actually there is one minor quibble. The mugs have a logo etched on the mug. Not a big deal when we are at home but it iswhen I’m doing the Christmas Gnome Thing.

I solved the problem by sewing a quick and easy no slip mug cover.

Nissa the Christmas Gnome salutes you with her woven heart mug cozy!