DIY Furniture Wipes

Do you love the ease of those Pledge furniture wipes? How about the cost? I'm not too keen on paying for anything I can make myself. I found this recipe a few years ago and  I love it. It doesn't take long to make a batch and they last. They do a great job too!

All you need is a few old rags (cut to whatever size you like) and a good glass container with a lid that seals well.

Recipe:

1 cup Distilled Vinegar
2 - 3 Small Lemons
1 tsp. Olive Oil

Peel skin from lemons and set skin aside. Keep insides of lemons for juice. In a large bowl, combine Vinegar, olive oil, and juice from half a lemon. Mix well. Add cut rags to saturate. Once all rags are wet, wring them out ( not to the point being dry). Lay them flat. Place a piece of lemon rind in each rag and roll up. Place in your glass container and seal with lid. Use as needed.

I like to use old rags so I can reuse them but this can also be done with a quality paper towel.

Use these wipes to wipe all your wood furniture. They clean great and leave a great smell and best of all they're all natural. Enjoy!

Cleaning a Glass top Stove

I've has a glass top stove for years now. I used to buy the cleaner made specifically for it to keep it looking good. As I've said before, I try to be as frugal as possible. In other words, I'M CHEAP! I came across this method a few years ago and it works great.

Recipe:
Baking soda
Rag
Hot water

Sprinkle baking soda on the stove top. Be careful not to use too much or it makes cleanup harder. Wet rag with hot water, as hot as you can stand. Wring out rag leaving it wet but not too wet. Place rag over baking soda and let it sit for a few minutes. This loosens any food that may be stuck on. Then, gently scrub area with rag and wipe clean. Does the same job as the expensive store bought cleaner at a fraction of the cost.

Don't Throw Away That Old Window

Here's another idea for y'all. As I've said, we use anything and everything we can to make unique pieces. Here is another example of upcycling. My husband took a reclaimed wood window and made it into a shadow box style coffee table. Just wish I could find more windows!

Pallet Art

As I have explained before, my husband and I have been working with reclaimed wood for a couple of years now. Pallet furniture is all the rage. We are able to get large pallets from my husbands job and make pieces that are not possible with smaller pallets. Below is an example of what can be done with pallet wood. When you see those pallets stacked up, ready for the dump, think about what it could be, not what it is right now.

Creative Recycling

My husband and I are crazy about recycling. My husband is extremely creative and can look at a piece of wood and see what it can be not what it currently is. He truly has a gift. We have been picking up all types of wood and creating great, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces for a couple of years now. This example was a reclaimed mirror frame the he turned into a rustic display cabinet. Fabulous!

Scented Floor Cleaner

Are you always looking for a floor cleaner that will do the job and not leave a streaky mess? As a housekeeper, I was always trying new products to make the floors extra clean. I find that most commercially available cleaners leave a lot to be desired. Though most cleaners give you that smell you want, they also give you a floor that looks like it needs to be mopped again.

I have found that vinegar is the best to mop any kind of floor. It works on tile, linoleum, hardwood, and even laminate. It leaves a clean floor without all the streaking. Although vinegar cleans the best, the smell doesn't always appeal to everyone. I have found that a few drops of your favorite essential oil takes that bitter smell away and still leaves a clean floor.

What I do is pour distilled vinegar in a recycled Gatorade or Powered bottle (I recycle everything I can haha) and add your essential oils to this bottle. This leaves the rest of your vinegar for other uses. I add approximately 1/2 - 1 cup of this scented vinegar to my hot mop water. Use it on all your floors.

Frugal Decorating for Everyday

When it comes to home décor, cheap and easy is the best for me. I am always looking for a deal. I especially love the end of the season deals at major retailers. I try to rack up when I can and save for later. I also love to go to garage sales.
I've been redecorating my room and bathroom recently. Trying to change colors can be expensive. As I've mentioned before, I bought the wall paint as a mis-tint at Lowe's for $10. The accessories have been the challenge for me.
I scored at several garage sales this past weekend with great décor pieces for dirt cheap. Make a date with a friend and check out a few garage sales, estate sales, and even a flea market this weekend.

Paid $1.50 for both plates. Awesome!

Homemade Sugar Scrub

We all have those times when our hands and feet feel like a pumice stone. The scrubs that are sold in stores work but can be so expensive. Why pay those high prices when you can make it yourself? This recipe is fast and easy. Give it a try and enjoy.

Recipe:
In a small container, mix 2/3 cup of granulated sugar with 2/3 cup of Dawn Hand Renewal Soap. Adjust the soap to your preference(more or less).
I try to use a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Hobby Lobby has them on sale regularly.

Bonus Tip: These scrubs make a great gift. Tie a ribbon on the container and gift away.

DIY Reed Diffusers

Do you love that fabulous smell of the expensive reed diffusers? I love it when I walk in my house and it smells great. The thing I don't love is the price of all things that smell good. I decided that I have to figure out how to make these diffusers. What I found out is that I can make them at a fraction of the cost of the store bought diffusers. I do suggest that you find an essential oil or a fragrance oil that you love. You can even take it as far as mixing a few different oils to a scent that you love (lavender and vanilla).

Recipe:
Recycle a small glass bottle or buy one at the dollar store (no need for a lid). The bottle needs to have a narrow neck so that it doesn't evaporate too fast.
Safflower oil
Essential oil or fragrance oil
Bamboo Skewers with tip cut off

Combine a quarter of a cup of safflower oil with 1/2 to 1 oz. of fragrance oil. If you're using essential oils use 20 -25 drops. Pour into your glass jar and add bamboo sticks. After about an hour flip bamboo stick to promote saturation.

I suggest that you flip your reeds once a week. It keeps the scent fresh. Have fun and enjoy!

Frugal tip of the day(paint)

I have a terrible problem with changing my mind. Especially, when it comes to colors in my house. I love to change things up all the time. It really frustrates my husband. I'm not afraid to try an off the wall color but when I'm ready to make the change, I'm not so ready to pay the hefty price of paint. I could wait until it goes on sale but why wait. I'm at Lowe's and Home Depot on a regular basis. While I'm there I like to check out the mis-tinted paint. I can usually find a color that I can't live without at a fraction of the cost paint regularly sells for. The great thing is that not only can you paint your walls and furniture but you can also make chalk paint out of these paints. I say it's a win win. Next time you're at your local home improvement store, check it out.

Fall Fun for Everyone

Now that summer is coming to an end, we have to find creative ways to entertain ourselves. My daughter and her friend decided to take the Twister game to the next level. Not only is it entertaining but it makes some great photos.

All you need is a twister game and some cheap shaving cream. I suggest doing this outside, as it is pretty messy. Lay out the game mat on a flat surface and spray a large dollop on each dot. Now, play on!!

Labor Day Treat

Are you looking for an inexpensive, easy dessert for your Labor Day get together? Try a Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. This is a great treat for everyone. What I usually do is cut it into pie wedges to serve.

Recipe:
1 package of dry chocolate chip cookie mix
Non-stick cooking spray
Glass pie pan

Mix cookie mix according to package directions. Spray glass pan with non-stick spray. Spread cookie mix in pan and bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes. It's a little undercooked but so gooey and good. Cool completely and cut into wedges and serve.

Home Made Glass Cleaner

This glass cleaner is better than any other cleaner I have used. It's super easy and very cheap. It gives you a great, streak free result.

Recipe:
1 spray bottle ( I like to recycle bottles, especially the bottles that work good)
Distilled Vinegar
Blue Dawn

Fill spray bottle with distilled vinegar then add 3 - 4 drops of dawn. Shake well and clean away.

Bonus tip:
This cleaner is great for cleaning grout too. Just spray on grout, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then scrub with a scrub brush. Mop away excess with a damp mop. You'll be shocked!

Laundry Tip of the Day

Do you have problems with pesky spots on your shirts from grease. They can turn a favorite navy blue shirt into a yard work shirt. Instead of scrapping the shirt, try putting a drop of blue dawn on the spot and wash as usual. No need to soak, just wash. Those spots will come out every time.

Soap Scum Enemy

As I have mentioned, I clean houses for a living. I have used every cleaner imaginable to clean a shower and get the dreaded soap scum off. Commercial products do not work. What's even more frustrating is the advertising that says it works and the fake proof. Well this recipe works! I've been exclusively using this for a few years now and IT WORKS!

Recipe:
In a spray bottle( recycle from a cleaning product that did not work or get a cheap one from Dollar Tree), mix one part blue liquid dawn with 3 parts white vinegar. It doesn't have to be measured precisely. I usually eyeball it.

Use:
Shake up the bottle (dawn has a tendency to sink to the bottom). Spray, generously, the shower and tub. If the soap scum is bad, let it sit while you clean the rest of the bathroom. I usually let it sit for a few minutes then I get to it. If the soap scum is built up, use a scrub brush to scrub the bad areas. This will loosen the scum and make rinsing easier. Usually a towel or sponge is adequate for general cleaning. Rinse well after scrubbing.

Note: Not all of the soap scum will come off if there is a bad build up. This will remove a significant amount of the scum each time. I don't want you to think that it will dissolve to soap scum at one time. If this is the only cleaner you use, after 3-4 uses you should be rid of the scum all together.

Tip:
Once all of the scum is gone, treat the walls of the shower with rain-x to help prevent the problem. If you have a glass shower door, do the same.

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Cathy. I am a wife and mother. In today's unstable economy, I have had to come up with all sorts of ways to make a dollar stretch. Along the way, I have learned more than a few things that I need to share with you. I am the type of person that needs to learn something new everyday. My family and friends call me an encyclopedia. I'm not a know-it-all, I just feel like if I don't know about it, it's my responsibility to find out about it.

I clean houses for a living and have learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn't work. I am always trying to find out alternatives to traditional, commercial ways of doing things. I believe, why pay retail prices if you can do it cheaper. I am always trying to make new products to make life easier.

This blog will be about what goes through my mind on a daily basis. There's a lot rolling around in there and it's time to share. I hope you enjoy and feel free to ask about anything.