PINTEREST RECIPE OF THE WEEK #1

Now that I am on this money saving spree and doing it yourself spree and trying to give my daughter the "picture perfect" mother she always wanted(lol- I am far from it!!!) I have decided at least once a week I will attempt a new creative recipe from mine or my daughters Pinterest Board. I'm never going to lose any more weight since I am on this cooking spree!!!

I think I will suprise her by cooking a meal from her own "Food" ideas board. SINCE I KNOW SHE DOESN'T READ MY BLOG I think the suprise factor will be easy. The trick is going to be getting her to pin more food ideas cause right now the pickins are slim!

WEEK 1:

Found off my own Pinterest food board. "Boyfriend Cookies" from Sinful Southern Sweets, a blog I may regret having found, lol. Because all the sweets on here look unbelievable!!!


MINE LOOKED LIKE THIS:

 (note I bake in a toaster oven and it takes forever to get anything done! My oven is out of commission for now......so........hopefully I will get it fixed soon) And I cheat with foil cause I hate dishes. Wasteful I know...........

 I had so so so much dough leftover that I made balls and squished between wax paper and left instructions so I'd remember how to cook them again. I put these in the freezer and I have no idea how long they'll last in there. It won't matter because I am sure we will cook them soon enough.

DIFFICULTY: Kinda, because there is so much dry ingredients and candy going into the dough its kinda hard to mix. And not eat the candy lol.

RATING: 4/5. Tastes awesome.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE:  I would not use as much baking soda, they came out a little cakelike to me and I prefer a more dense cookie. Also I would definitely cut the recipe in half unless I needed this much. And I would prolly use less flour because like I said I don't love the bready cakey texture. If anyone has any tips I would love to know.

UPCYCLED INSPIRATION

I'm in love with UPCYCLING things.

Actual definition of upcycle:

verb

[with object]

• reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original: the opportunity to upcycle trash, or turn it into new products, was vast (as adjective upcycled) upcyled furniture

Definition credit of http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/upcycle

My DEFINITION OF UPCYCLE: To take something junky or broken or just plain ugly and make something awesome out of it! Or to use it for a purpose it was not actually intended for. (repurposing)

So since I don't have time to actually work on every junk piece of furniture or random object I find and document it step by step(Which I have vowed to do from now on as much as I can), I am going to compile a list or gallery of things I love that I have found on the internet(which I have lots of time for)

1. I'll start with the obvious. PINTEREST! So here is the link to my Pinterest "Upcycling" Board. And yes, I pin my own stuff cause I want blog traffic!!! But most of this is awesome ideas I have slowly gathered from the most addictive website ever.

                                                                    Click here to view

2.  I have a few projects already on my blog that I have done. Here is a list of them:

       

                                                            uses for old frames

                                                                        dresser redo

                                                                      sweatshirt pillow

                                                                   changing table redo

                                                                        dog bed

                                                    globe, gumball holder and a few others

                                                            log roller to ribbon holder

3. Things off the internet that I love and credit these bloggers and crafters for making.

                       
 coffee tables as shelves from Apartment Therapy website which is loaded with awesome ideas! Check out their site and get some inspiration. I also love the purple color which would actually go great with the dog bed I made.

entertainment center for tv to kids kitchen from Sutton Grace blog. She puts a GREAT tutorial on there about how to make this project! Check it out!

jars repurposed from Creative Confetti blog. Wow this one has several awesome ideas. And I am always saving containers and not knowing why I save them so now I have some good plans to put in action.

drawer turned ottoman from Beyond the Picket Fence. I love this blog and all the great ideas.

suitcase table Another awesome project I've seen all over blogland but this one from Stars for Street Lights blog has an amazing step by step tutorial that someone put a lot of time in and did well instructing on how to make!

These are just a few of the projects I am in love with and hope to try to accomplish one day.
I hope to add more of my own or other inspirational ideas as I find them.

Thank you to all the crafty people who made these and documented the way to do them. I hope you don't mind that I had to feature your ideas on my blog so that everyone can enjoy them!!!
I don't have an "I've been featured" button from my blog but I do have a button if you wanna grab it and add to your featured section. (Those buttons are really difficult to make lol)

       

DIY SCENT SATCHELS

I was cleaning out my dresser drawers the other night I discovered an old scent satchel that had lost its power so to speak. Also it cost me about $7 for the particular brand I like. (Not saying any names here)

I had all these Downy Unstopables leftover from my laundry soap making fiasco that I had an epiphany. I can make my own satchels and they will be WAY CUTE and cost a whole lot less!!! BRILLIANT!!

Now, I do own a sewing machine, but I am not one for acts of patience or learning new things so I just broke out "Old Trusty" (HOT GLUE GUN) and neatly glued together 3 sides of pretty fabric, added the scent pellets, and then glued the top. I made several of these.

Then I decided I could glue all 4 sides and cut slits in the top for a ribbon to tie them together so that the fabric pouch could be reused when the scent wears off. I made a bunch of these.

BEST PART! It's cheap. 

What you will need:

Either sewing machine or glue gun(your choice)

Scrap fabric

Downy Unstopables or whatever brand you have or like

Ribbon(optional)

I happened to have all this on hand so I spent zero dollars. 

This is the hot glue method. If you're sewing, you're on your own. (Maybe you can send me a link with a sewing tutorial cause I am very sewing challenged)

PLEASE USE COMMON SENSE. HOT GLUE IS HOT. DON'T LET CHILDREN DO THIS UNSUPERVISED. ALSO I WOULD NOT USE THESE POUCHES TO REPLACE THE ONES MADE FOR CHILDREN'S AREAS OR TOYS CAUSE I DO NOT KNOW THE TOXICITY OR SAFETY OF THEM. 

 Glue all 4 sides down just inside so that it looks hemmed.

 You may have to trim the corners

 Glue half way down each side and fold in half pressing down the sides.

 This part is kinda tricky. Fold over the top edge that is left open and snip about 4 holes in each side, this is for the ribbon.

 Then you can weave some ribbon thru.

 Then just pour in however many pellets you want and tie it up.

 Here is a pic of one I didn't tie at the top, just glue.

 Any of these are WAY CUTER and CHEAPER THAN the other brands that I won't speak of and the scent is very powerful.

It was a fun, crafty, and good smelling project. And I am sure I could actually sew some bags that could be re-used and I will attempt this in the future.

Also I think these would be great little gifts. 

And here is a picture of Hershey begging me to throw his rock(he's obsessed with rocks) while I was working on writing this post.

I am having some serious difficulty linking the "Pin It" button. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PIN THIS CAUSE WHO DOESN'T LOVE BLOG TRAFFIC??? Happy Crafting!!

IMPORTANT UPDATE. I put one of these in my daughters car and the heat melted it and made a huge mess!!! Don't do that! I guess I didn't really think since they melt in the washer that obviously heat would melt them too.

I am linking this post up at:

  http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/08/transformation-thursday-no-166.htmlhttp://www.momnivores-dilemma.com/2012/08/creative-juice-thursday-features-link-up_22.html


http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/08/27/made-by-you-monday-116/
http://weliketolearnaswego.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-i-learned-wednesday-22.html

DIY LAUNDRY SOAP=CHEAP!!

I finally caved in and started pinching my pennies from everything to actually cooking at home and now making my own detergent for laundry. This is so much fun. I just feel like I've "beat the system" by saving so much money here. Plus there is nothing but real pure ingrediants in this soap.

There are a million recipes for homemade laundry soap and I am currently looking for a liquid recipe but for now I have tons of the powdered version which will take forever to run out of so it will be a while before I make liquid.

This is what I used:
1 cup Borax(Mule team-found in laundry isle)
1 cup Washing Soda(Arm and Hammer-found in laundry isle)
1/2 cup OxyClean
1/3 bar grated Fels Naptha soap
desired amount of Downy Unstoppables Pellets

Crush up part of the pellets and leave some intact.
Grate the soap
Mix it all together.
Store in closed container. Avoid moisture areas.
USE 1-2 TBSP per load

TESTIMONY- I used it on the dog's bedding that hadn't been washed in months and was not only very stinky, but dingy(dingie?) and discolored. IT CAME OUT CLEAN AND FRESH. I used about 4 TBSP on that since it was so dirty. For all of our everday laundry just 1-2 is fine and dandy. Even my daughter was excited about doing laundry. And if any product homemade or not can make you want to clean, then it is a miracle!!!

It all cost me under $20 and I've made 2 batches and estimate I can make several more. I'll have to buy more Fels Naptha soap but it was only $1 at Walmart. It is safe for HE washers with the exception of putting in the dispenser. The downy pellets are not to go in a dispenser so I would just throw it in the tub when I start the wash. ALSO IT DOES NOT MAKE SUDS. SUDS ARENT NEEDED TO GET STUFF CLEAN. I AM STILL TRYING TO GRASP THIS CONCEPT. :)

I do not recommend using Ivory soap as some recipes call for. It is too soft and doesn't grate well.

HAPPY CLEANING AND SAVING!!! I also have bought a table and 4 chairs at a yard sale all for $20 that I am planning to start working on in the near future. Can't wait to get started. So be expecting a post soon!

UPDATE: I added quite a few of the fabric softener crystals(Purex)to this mix cause they actually soften not just add fragrance. And I like it much better. It dilutes the soap ratio though so an extra scoop of the mix is needed. You dont have to add the crystals you can do them seperate but I just like mixing the stuff lol.

Lexi

  http://weliketolearnaswego.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-i-learned-wednesday-21.html

This is what it looks like after I added the softener crystals and I just love the giant pickle jar being reused.