…in which I surprise myself.

I made this,
For less than a dollar,
In less than 10 minutes,
To organize my circular needles…
…and I did it myyyyyy waaaaaaaaaaaay.

Spring Cleaning Recipes

OK, so you should actually use these all year, not just for spring cleaning. But we’ve had above-zero temperatures for THREE consecutive days, so I am officially in spring-cleaning mode.

Not only are these recipes quick and easy — and effective! — but they are definitely cheaper. And they leave your house smelling fresh and clean… not like funky blue cleaner.

Basic Ingredients:

• Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
• Baking Soda (look for the big, generic box of it at the grocery store. You’ll use lots.)
• Vinegar
• Washing Soda (look in the laundry aisle)
• Borax
• essential oils (optional; I use mostly Lavendar, Lemon, and Tea Tree Oil)
• some spray bottles, rags, and a sponge (look for spray bottles in the plant section of your department store, or at a dollar-store location. You could recycle them from other spray products, but since most of those contain the toxins we’re trying to avoid, it might not be the best option.)

Soft Scrubber: In a small bowl, combine about 1/2 cup of baking soda with a squirt or two of Dr. Bronner’s and just a little bit of water (add water by the tbsp until it’s the consistency you want.) Scoop some up on a sponge and use it to clean the tub, shower, sink, etc. Rinse well. (If you need more heavy-duty scrubbing action, use 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup baking soda.) Obviously, you can mix this in any amount and consistency you want…figure out what works for you.

All Purpose/Glass Cleaner: In a spray bottle, combine equal amounts water and vinegar. Spray on windows and wipe off with rag. (If windows are really dirty, you can add a few drops of Dr. B’s to the mix. If there is a lot of mineral-buildup, use more vinegar and less water.) I keep a bottle of this in the kitchen and use it to clean counter tops, the table, highchairs, etc. Vinegar is a natural germ-buster.

Dirt Buster Spray: A fantastic recipe over at Care2 – check it out! Works great on stuff like stovetops, fridge door handles, etc.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle borax over the water in the bowl (I do two shakes and a shimmy, AKA 1/4 cup), use a brush to clean bowl, then let it sit for 1/2 hr or so. Cleans great, deodorizes, and doesn’t turn your water blue.

Stinky Carpets or Couches: For mild stinkiness, sprinkle with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and vacuum. For mustiness or serious stinkiness (hey, if you have kids, you know not to ask) use borax in the same way, but let it sit overnight if you can.

Linoleum Floors: For a sinkful of HOT water, add a couple squirts of Dr. B’s and a glub of vinegar. Use a mop.

Laundry Boosters: Add washing soda to whites and towels — it does wonders on stains and odors. Use vinegar instead of fabric softener to remove detergent residue. For fresh-smelling clothes without chemicals, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a small rag and toss it in the dryer.

Linen Spray: Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vodka in a spray bottle, add 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil. Spritz over beds and let dry before making up.

Migraine-free ‘breeze: Combine 1/4 cup vodka and 1 cup water in a spray bottle. Add EO’s as desired. (I like 10 drops lavender with 10 peppermint for a fresh scent, or mandarin and clove bud for a holiday scent.)

Pot Luck: If you have a glass, ceramic or stainless steel pot or casserole — fill with HOT water, sprinkle with washing soda, and let it sit overnight. All the baked-on crud will come right off in the morning.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. Happy cleaning!

No, really. It’s spring. Clean those windows, let the sunshine in, and enjoy the fact that a) you’re not hurting the planet b) you’re not hurting your health c) you’re not hurting your kid’s health and d) you saved money. See? Almost makes it fun, doesn’t it?

Knitting, Crocheting & Sewing — oh, my…

Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. I’ve been on a crafty binge the last couple days, and had some of each. The pillow likely would have worked better if a) I hadn’t had wine before attempting to sew it together and b) I had sewn the crochet block onto the cushion BEFORE it was stuffed.

But you know, I’m new to this whole sewing thing. Live and learn. (And, as an extra bonus, the project cost nothing. I used leftover wool, a fabric remnant, and stuffing from an extra pillow.)

Thankfully, this wee wine baggy (cozy? caddy? carrier?) knit up super quick and easily. It’s a variation of my Gully Green giftbag. I rather like it. It only used about 65 yards of DK-weight yarn, so it’s a great way to use up remnants of yarn.

And that’s a quick little round up from the weekend. Currently on the needles are a Top Secret Project, a lace shawl for a pregnant friend, and a chunky lacey cardy for me. But I’ve got to run and make supper, so I’ll update with links to patterns later.

Happy Monday! Hope you survived yours OK.

Using the Good Stuff

A spirit of frugality is a wonderful thing. Most of the frugal who I am lucky to know are creative, resourceful, thoughtful souls.

There does seem to be a hidden danger to frugality, though; a subtle trap that many of us seem to give in to. Come closer and I’ll whisper it in your ear.

Hoarding.

Perhaps it’s because we truly appreciate the value of our dollar. Maybe we’ve had a few too many years of a few too few of those dollars to ever be loose and careless with them. Or perhaps it’s a simple matter of our being so good at saving and waiting that we simply forget that it’s good to use…in fact, it’s good to enjoy the things we have so carefully earned, saved and treasure.

One example of this is the concept of having “everyday dishes” and “Good China”…I’m guessing you know what I mean. There are the simple, indestructible, sturdy dishes that we use three meals a day, 364 days a year — and there are the lovely, beautiful, delicate dishes that we bring out on holidays.

Isn’t it ironic that it’s the bland, everyday dishes that our families will really remember? What messages do we send when we rarely bring out the “special” dishes? Isn’t the fact that we’re sitting down to eat together special?

Life is short. My kids will be grown and gone before I’ve managed to figure out a meal that they’ll all actually eat.

So I’m going to use the good dishes. In fact, I’ve repurposed a dish-drainer and put out a family-sized place setting of the good china on top of the dining room cabinet. Instead of being hidden away safely (and forgotten), we are going to use the good stuff.

When I’m gone and the kids are sorting through my “treasures”, I want them to say, “Remember these? They were the dishes we used at supper time. Remember when we…” and not, “Hey, aren’t those the dishes mom wouldn’t let us touch?”

That’s mine. What’s yours? Are you knitting though the bland yarn in your stash, refusing to touch the “good” stuff? Are your most luxurious sheets hiding in the linen closet? The best wine never opened?

Go for it. Use the good stuff.

It’s just stuff.

Room Tour: The Twinbits

It’s finished! And it’s a hit. My “babies” love their big-kid bedroom, and I’m pretty pleased with it myself. Other than the paint (“Daydream” by Debbie Travis) and a bit of fabric for the chair, the rest of the items were found or made. It’s decor on a dime — enjoy your tour!

E’s Bed — the quilt on the headboard was made by Great-Aunt Karen. The large crocheted blanket by friend Christina, the small one by myself. The chenille bedspread was a thrift-store-score.

Both bed frames were rescued and painted by Nana.

C’s Bed –  the spread was a gift from Nana, and the picture frames  handpainted by  C&E’s brothers and uncles.  Gingerbread men climber from my childhood. Crochet blanket by me, quilt by Great-Aunt Karen.

Bookcase (and matching miniature furniture in room) were built by the twinbit’s Great-Granddad Martin. They were originally in Aunt Emily & Aunt Elyse’s room, and have passed along to us.

Rocking chair was recovered by me. (First attempt, be kind. ) Crochet blanket by a family friend.

I really love the window treatment. I sewed a simple valance, and then we made paper pinwheels using the instructions here — the paper is pages from an old book I found in a thrift store (“An Edwardian Lady’s Country Diary”) and instead of pins, I used some lonely stud earrings that had lost their mates or weren’t being worn any more.

And on the window sill, to tie it together, we put one more pinwheel.

Carriage and toyhouse built by Great-Granddad, latch-hook rug by a family friend.

A Secret Crush…and I need help!

…I can’t deny it any longer. I adore vintage textiles.

I love the worn softness,

uniqueness,

the sense of history.

I especially love finding hand-embellished ones. It reminds me that our generation — especially us young moms, largely on our own and away from our families — are another link in the chain of women and mothers who have lived, created, and driven the world.

And will continue to do so.

We’re part of a long history of women who have faced up to hard times and determined not only to survive, but to thrive. To take the simple and ordinary and make it beautiful, using only our creativity and the resources at hand.

Amazing what thoughts a simple thrift-store treasure hunt can bring to mind, isn’t it? 

I’m planning on using the chenille bedspread for my daughter’s “big girl bed” that we’ll be setting up this weekend.

The tablecloth, I’m not sure about yet…it’s in lovely condition so I might use it as is…or perhaps it will become a sundress for my daughter this summer. Time will tell.

Oh, and I have a question for you — what should I do with this jug? It’s been sitting in my kitchen since our hot apple cider at Christmas, and I need to repurpose it…but as what?

Razzle-dazzle Dough-ya

This is a conglomeration of different recipes I’ve tried over the last six years. It’s easy to make with the kids, you don’t have to cook it over the stove,  it doesn’t smell disgusting and allows you to make different colors within one batch of dough. The glitter adds a fun bit of sparkle but you can easily leave that out. Consider jazzing it up with other small, non-perishable items — sequins, small beads, etc. You could also use peppermint or almond extract for a different scent.

As for playdough tools, I let the kids use my plastic cookie cutters and wooden rolling pin…they seem more interested by the “Real” tools than they have been by fancy little ones. They also love using cups, blunt children’s cutlery, and other randomly shaped and textured household items…just make sure whatever you give them is easily washable.

Razzle-Dazzle Dough-ya Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 2 tbsp Cream of Tartar (4 tablespoons would extend the shelf-life, but I personally don’t like playdough to hang around more than 6 weeks or so. Little fingers put a lot of ickies into it.)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups boiling water
• Food coloring and glitter (optional)
• Mug and teabag (optional, but you’re probably going to need it if you’re making this with little helpers. )

Put the kettle on to boil. Prepare mug and teabag. Gather a large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, measuring cups and dry ingredients. Combine flour, salt, cream of tarter , vanilla and cooking oil in the mixing bowl.

When water boils, start your tea brewing, then add 2 cups of boiling water to the mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is a big lumpy glob and cool enough to handle. Turn it out on the table or counter and knead well until smooth and supple.

Roll dough into a log and cut into four equal size pieces. Squish them into a fat pancake shape, and add a few drops of food coloring and maybe some glitter to the middle. Fold the pancake over on itself with the food coloring inside, then knead it well until the color is evenly distributed. (If you are concerned about stains, protect your work surface. If you don’t want technicolor hands, wear gloves.) Repeat with the other sections as desired.

Store in an air-tight container. Keeping it in the fridge will extend the life but isn’t mandatory. Now sit and enjoy your tea in the 10 minutes that all the kids are going to play happily before they start arguing over who gets the blue dough…

A Pretty Pantry, and Brownies.

The simple ideas are the best, aren’t they? This project combines my favorite things – recycling, repurposing, shiny glass, bright colors, saving money, a sense of order…and easily accessible brownie-baking ingredients.

If while grocery shopping I have a choice between an item in plastic or an item in glass, I try and buy the glass. Even if it costs me a few more cents, I’m gaining a storage container out of it. I have yet to meet a glass jar that can’t be thoroughly cleaned and repurposed when empty. Soaking them in hot soapy water is usually all that’s needed to remove the labels but if there’s a sticky residue, try rubbing a couple drops of Lemon Essential Oil over it, then washing again — it’s amazing how quickly the jar cleans up.

After it’s clean, use it for plastic-free leftover storage, organizing craft supplies, or containing small items in the bathroom. If you use yours in the pantry, you’ll probably wants labels — sharpies work great but lack the pretty factor. I loved these links to free printable labels and recipe cards from my friends over at the Frugal Not Frumpy blog. Use a simple gluestick to attach them to the jar, and they’ll remove easily with a soak and scrub if you repurpose the jar later.

Oh, and when you’re done organizing the pantry, bake these. And bring me some.

Bethany’s Bestest Brownies

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs, beat well with a wooden spoon. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, then gradually add it to the egg mixture. Spread in a greased 8×8 square baking pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, just until the brownie begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. You want them to still be moist and chewy. Cool, then frost with:

Yummy Brownie Frosting

• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 to 2 tbsps milk.

Cream butter, cocoa, honey and vanilla. Add icing sugar and milk, and beat to a smooth and spreadable consistency. Apply liberally to brownies, then lick the spoon.

Hibernating In Style

If I look out my window, I see white, grey and brown. That’s it. Snow, clouds and tree trunks. Neutrals combined with color is one thing; a world of monotone shades wears on me. I usually spend the weeks from mid-January to late March twitching, eating too much chocolate, drinking gallons of coffee, and knitting things in impossibly bright shades just to keep the color-desperation at bay.

Since none of those strategies are beneficial in the long run, I decided on a new one. This year I am attempting to use these months of nearly-mandatory indoor time as an opportunity to clean, organize, decorate…to create a warm, colorful den in which to spend my hibernation.

I am a quirky person (I have made my peace with it) and I am delighting in slowly crafting my world to reflect who I am. We moved just a few months ago, and I took advantage of the opportunity to rid myself of a lot of STUFF…much of it perfectly “good” stuff…that I simply didn’t want/like/need. It was liberating; just because things were still “good” didn’t mean I had to keep them. It felt to good to free myself of the baggage, and trust in the future.

My new style is cheerful. Colorful, too, because beige be damned — I’m not beige and my house won’t be either. I’m a jeans-and-sweater girl; my home shouldn’t look like a business suit. I spent some time listing what I like – strong, bright colors; bold patterns; soft and warm fabrics. I love the shine of glass and the warmth of wicker baskets. I like using things for a different purpose than intended – baskets to store DVDs, an old creamer to hold handmade soaps, mandarin orange crates to organize boxes of tea. I don’t like fussy patterns, boxstore art, knick-knacks, or too much symmetry.

Over all — I love crafting a home out of materials that have already had a previous life. I am a regular haunter of the local thrift stores; I don’t always buy. The goal is not to get more STUFF; the goal is to keep an eye open to the possibilities…and the things I buy are often what nobody else likes — the old vintage tablecloth; random cloth napkins in funky colors; old glass jars and baskets. The fascinating thing is this — it all comes together. When I stick with the colors and textures that I love, they always seem to work.

The trick seems to be tossing the rulebook out the window and listening to my hibernating instincts.

Strangling Sweater Recon

When I saw this soft, pretty, comfy-and-a-bit-oversized angora sweater at the thrift store…I had to get it. For $3, that’s a lot of comfy-cozy-softness…and it’s even pink.

Inspiration came from New From Old: How to Transform and Customize Your Clothes and it was incredibly easy to do. Basically, you cut the turtleneck along the seam, add binding (I used some scrap stretchable lace that was in my notions bag) and add beads (again, I had some leftover from a previous project.) And that’s it! Instead of a strangling turtleneck, the sweater now has a graceful shawl collar with some funky beading. Not bad for 30 minutes of effort, eh?