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.

Homemade Pumpkin Jerky Dog Treats

Lacey was glued to my side all weekend.

I know it is because she loves me.

It has nothing to my cutting, gutting, and drying pumpkins into treats for her on Lazy Budget Chef.

This is a great time to get a deal on discounted Halloween pumpkins and make them into dried pumpkin dog treats to give as Christmas gifts.

Yes, dogs get Christmas gifts in this house. Always!

You can make my pumpkin jerky treats in the oven if you do not have a dehydrator.

Learn how I make allergy free dried pumpkin dog treats on Lazy Budget Chef.

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Drop Cloth Patio Chair Covers

It only took me 8 years to realize I should do something to protect the chairs on my front porch from rain and winter snow unless I want to keep making my chairs over every two years or so.

That is not a difficult thing to do. But I’d rather spend that time working on a new project, like helping our girl Lacey become a balanced and confident dog. That project gives kisses!





My chair projects do not give me kisses.

Sad Lisa

Highball Halloween Party!

Happy Halloween!

Today is one our favorite holidays because it is all about frivolous fun. I got my costumer on and made a rare set of matching costumes for Husband and I to wear to this year’s Highball Halloween party. We were Raving Rabbids!

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

I’m glad I made our full length Rabbid suits from fleece. It was freezing that night!

Have You Tried Slow Cooking without Electricity?

For the most part my emergency storm blackout supplies include a bottle of red wine,a manual corkscrew, (you will understand why if you read what happened during our last multiday blackout) and a whole bunch of candles.

We got a grill shortly after that so at least we could cook something that is melting in the freezer and avoid standing in very long lines at area restaurants with all of our neighbors who can’t cook in their all-electric kitchens either.

While I appreciate being able to cook on a grill on my patio during a summer blackout, standing knee-deep in snow is something I’d like to avoid during a winter blackout if I can. And I will with my new eco non-electric slow cooker the Wonderbag.

How can this big pillow cook food without fire or electricity?