Saturday, December 1, 2012
The 26 Days of the Alphabet...
Keeping in theme with my FUN and EDUCATIONAL letter Christmas Tree...I decided to play a game. Instead of the 25 days of December, we are going to play the 26 days of the Alphabet. Each day in December I'm going to pick a letter. I made us a book with a page for each letter for drawing, stickers, and letter writing. When they boys can find the block on the tree with the correct letter of the day we will draw in the book the corresponding pictures from the block, pick a sticker with something that starts with the letter, and practice writing the letter. I'm so excited about this one and cannot wait to post updates and photos!
An Alphabet Christmas Tree
Well, I have enjoyed my purple and green themed tree for years...anyone who knows me can tell you they are my favorite colors, they were our wedding colors, it seemed natural for them to be our Christmas Tree colors. But, sadly, I have come to terms that my "themed" tree days have come to a close :(
Why? you ask.
I have two toddler boys...two very active, 200% boy, ninety miles an hour twentyfourseven, toddler boys. Our oldest attends Head Start and the youngest is still at home with Mommy! I adore both of them and would not trade them for the sun, moon, and stars combined. So, I will sacrifice my tree for their happiness for a few years.
I found myself pondering what kind of tree we should have. I don't have many regular ornaments to decorate with. And if I'm giving up on a regular tree, then I want an all out screaming from the rooftops "this is a kid's tree" kind of tree. And like most moms out there I want it to be FUN and EDUCATIONAL at the same time. I looked around on pinterest and on a few other blogs I follow, but really didn't find any inspiration there. I thought back to my last home visit with Brennan's teacher (a quarterly parent/teacher meeting with Head Start) and recalled her emphasis on improving his letter recognition skills. You see, these boys of mine don't slow down for much. Getting either of them to sit still long enough for a book is like pulling baby teeth to say the least, so you can imagine what teaching letter recognition is like. Flash cards you say? Pah, crumpled on the floor, boring! And here is where the light bulb came on~A LETTER CHRISTMAS TREE! Its FUN and EDUCATIONAL!!!
Then came the real brainstorming...what kind of letters? Cinnamon ornaments?...nope take too long to dry. Salt-dough?...nah, to much to decorate. Cut outs? out of recycled gift bags?...ugh, cutting the middle is such a pain. Wooden blocks? A-ha! A wooden block letter Christmas Tree.
How did it turn out? FABULOUS!
What you need:
wooden blocks
eye screws
ornament hooks or ribbon
pliers
Optional items:
hammer
small nail
I went to the local Wal-Mart and picked up a pack of really nice blocks. They are a bit larger than the ones the boys had already and they are far more colorful. The ones I bought were by Garanimals and cost about $14.
I purchased the smallest eye screws I could find, also from Wal-Mart. (Reason: if they fall out I have the option to go to one a bit larger without splitting the block.) And the ornament hooks I had recently picked up at Hobby Lobby. I love them! However, I did consider using ribbon as an alternative option and I'm certain it would turn out just as well.
The hammer and small nail/tack is optional. After I had put in about ten of the eye screws my fingers were quite sore. So I dug around for a tiny nail and used the hammer to tap it just barely into the block for a "pilot hole" without using a drill. It helped my fingers a lot and I would recommend it if you are comfortable with gauging the depth needed to start the screw eye a bit easier.
Here is a photo of my UNFINISHED tree with just the blocks on it and UNLIT so you can see the blocks!
Also, a close up with the tree lit.
I will post a photo once I have finished adding all the decorations and making my tree skirt...eek!
Why? you ask.
I have two toddler boys...two very active, 200% boy, ninety miles an hour twentyfourseven, toddler boys. Our oldest attends Head Start and the youngest is still at home with Mommy! I adore both of them and would not trade them for the sun, moon, and stars combined. So, I will sacrifice my tree for their happiness for a few years.
I found myself pondering what kind of tree we should have. I don't have many regular ornaments to decorate with. And if I'm giving up on a regular tree, then I want an all out screaming from the rooftops "this is a kid's tree" kind of tree. And like most moms out there I want it to be FUN and EDUCATIONAL at the same time. I looked around on pinterest and on a few other blogs I follow, but really didn't find any inspiration there. I thought back to my last home visit with Brennan's teacher (a quarterly parent/teacher meeting with Head Start) and recalled her emphasis on improving his letter recognition skills. You see, these boys of mine don't slow down for much. Getting either of them to sit still long enough for a book is like pulling baby teeth to say the least, so you can imagine what teaching letter recognition is like. Flash cards you say? Pah, crumpled on the floor, boring! And here is where the light bulb came on~A LETTER CHRISTMAS TREE! Its FUN and EDUCATIONAL!!!
Then came the real brainstorming...what kind of letters? Cinnamon ornaments?...nope take too long to dry. Salt-dough?...nah, to much to decorate. Cut outs? out of recycled gift bags?...ugh, cutting the middle is such a pain. Wooden blocks? A-ha! A wooden block letter Christmas Tree.
How did it turn out? FABULOUS!
What you need:
wooden blocks
eye screws
ornament hooks or ribbon
pliers
Optional items:
hammer
small nail
I went to the local Wal-Mart and picked up a pack of really nice blocks. They are a bit larger than the ones the boys had already and they are far more colorful. The ones I bought were by Garanimals and cost about $14.
My package of blocks...not sure why they are upside down.
I purchased the smallest eye screws I could find, also from Wal-Mart. (Reason: if they fall out I have the option to go to one a bit larger without splitting the block.) And the ornament hooks I had recently picked up at Hobby Lobby. I love them! However, I did consider using ribbon as an alternative option and I'm certain it would turn out just as well.
The hammer and small nail/tack is optional. After I had put in about ten of the eye screws my fingers were quite sore. So I dug around for a tiny nail and used the hammer to tap it just barely into the block for a "pilot hole" without using a drill. It helped my fingers a lot and I would recommend it if you are comfortable with gauging the depth needed to start the screw eye a bit easier.
Notice the eye screw is set perpendicular to the sides I want to see. When you put a hook on the eye screw it will hang correctly. Also, if you look closely at the blocks below you can see my "pilot hole" in the center of the blocks.
Also, a close up with the tree lit.
I will post a photo once I have finished adding all the decorations and making my tree skirt...eek!
Friday, September 14, 2012
DIY Laundry Soap
Ever since I joined the magical world of Pinterest I have become a DIY skeptic. Don't get me wrong, I've had successful projects. But there are just some things I have a hard time believing. This DIY Laundry Soap business, was one of them.
My husband works in construction, you know, outside, in the heat...and when he comes home in the dead of summer, well he doesn't always smell laundry fresh. In years past we've discovered another problem. For some reason during the summer his tee shirts tend to "sour" or smell like soured laundry after he's only worn them for an hour or so. Now at first he tried to say it was because I was leaving them in the washer too long before transferring them to the dryer. I'll be honest, maybe so. I only have two toddlers and either worked or attended college over the past summers. But, who is perfect any way. I made a better effort at getting his clothes right into the dryer so that we could solve the problem. Any change? NOPE! This summer it got to the point he was going through three and four shirts a day because he cannot stand the smell.
So for the sake of my beloved husband, I, the skeptic, went on a mission. I cannot claim the idea behind the soap, because it is not mine. However, I am dying to share this information. I did a little searching (mostly on Pinterest) for ideas I would be most likely to surrender my skepticism to. What I found was inspiring...another unwilling soul! This gave me peace of mind and made me slightly more willing to try the soap. I somewhat followed her directions, except I made less...still skeptical of the whole idea.
So here is what I bought:
1-76 ounce Box of 20 Mule Borax Detergent Booster (I only used half of the box)
1-55 ounce Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (I only used half of the box)
1-64 ounce Box of Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
1-5.5 ounce Bar of Fels Naptha (I would love to find Pink Zote soap because it makes a prettier mix, but I guess they don't sell it near where I live)
1-20 ounce Container of OxyClean (1.3 pounds)
1-28 ounce Container of Purex Crystals (these come in three or four different scents, just choose which you like best)
All of the items can be found on the detergent aisle and most are in close proximity to each other.
I then used my fine cheese grater to grate the Fels Naptha soap. A tedious job, but if I was going to solve our dilemma it was necessary. I thought it would take longer, but in reality it probably only took ten minutes to do this part.
Once the bar soap was grated I used a large mixing bowl to combine the ingredients in. I will warn you, I sneezed like crazy because of all the powder. If you have breathing issues or allergies I would suggest using a mask during this part.
This is what it looked like after I mixed all the items. (Sorry for the shadow in the photo.)
I made the soap the last weekend of August. On average I do 8-10 loads of laundry per week. The Purex Crystals container of soap lasted for two weeks. After filling it a second time, I expect to have enough to fill the container three more times! That's including the fact that I've given samples to two friends so that they can try it and put some in a vase in the bathroom (makes a great air freshener). If you do the math that's 10+ weeks that this batch will last. Here's the best part it...only cost me $20 to buy the supplies to make it. I would spend that in a month on liquid laundry soap! And on top of that I have enough 20 Mule Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda for another batch. After I make the second batch I will be buying enough to make a double batch every time!
The true test: No more soured shirts for Hubby! Talk about a happy man...
My husband works in construction, you know, outside, in the heat...and when he comes home in the dead of summer, well he doesn't always smell laundry fresh. In years past we've discovered another problem. For some reason during the summer his tee shirts tend to "sour" or smell like soured laundry after he's only worn them for an hour or so. Now at first he tried to say it was because I was leaving them in the washer too long before transferring them to the dryer. I'll be honest, maybe so. I only have two toddlers and either worked or attended college over the past summers. But, who is perfect any way. I made a better effort at getting his clothes right into the dryer so that we could solve the problem. Any change? NOPE! This summer it got to the point he was going through three and four shirts a day because he cannot stand the smell.
So for the sake of my beloved husband, I, the skeptic, went on a mission. I cannot claim the idea behind the soap, because it is not mine. However, I am dying to share this information. I did a little searching (mostly on Pinterest) for ideas I would be most likely to surrender my skepticism to. What I found was inspiring...another unwilling soul! This gave me peace of mind and made me slightly more willing to try the soap. I somewhat followed her directions, except I made less...still skeptical of the whole idea.
So here is what I bought:
1-76 ounce Box of 20 Mule Borax Detergent Booster (I only used half of the box)
1-55 ounce Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (I only used half of the box)
1-64 ounce Box of Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
1-5.5 ounce Bar of Fels Naptha (I would love to find Pink Zote soap because it makes a prettier mix, but I guess they don't sell it near where I live)
1-20 ounce Container of OxyClean (1.3 pounds)
1-28 ounce Container of Purex Crystals (these come in three or four different scents, just choose which you like best)
All of the items can be found on the detergent aisle and most are in close proximity to each other.
I then used my fine cheese grater to grate the Fels Naptha soap. A tedious job, but if I was going to solve our dilemma it was necessary. I thought it would take longer, but in reality it probably only took ten minutes to do this part.
Once the bar soap was grated I used a large mixing bowl to combine the ingredients in. I will warn you, I sneezed like crazy because of all the powder. If you have breathing issues or allergies I would suggest using a mask during this part.
This is what it looked like after I mixed all the items. (Sorry for the shadow in the photo.)
I used the Purex Crystals container to put some of the soap in for pouring out of and put the rest in a plastic tub with a lid for storage. The Purex Crystals container lid has three lines in it, for a regular load I fill it to the first line. When I'm doing a load of towels or something I feel like needs a boost, I will fill it to the second line. (The blog where I got my idea said that the lines are equivalent to 1-2 tablespoons and that is all you need.) 
I made the soap the last weekend of August. On average I do 8-10 loads of laundry per week. The Purex Crystals container of soap lasted for two weeks. After filling it a second time, I expect to have enough to fill the container three more times! That's including the fact that I've given samples to two friends so that they can try it and put some in a vase in the bathroom (makes a great air freshener). If you do the math that's 10+ weeks that this batch will last. Here's the best part it...only cost me $20 to buy the supplies to make it. I would spend that in a month on liquid laundry soap! And on top of that I have enough 20 Mule Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda for another batch. After I make the second batch I will be buying enough to make a double batch every time!
The true test: No more soured shirts for Hubby! Talk about a happy man...
Monday, September 3, 2012
Upcycled Dryer Sheet Discovery
Recently, I read a blog, saw a pin, or some other article that piqued my interested; it mentioned using a used (or new) dryer sheet to clean your toilet with. Now, being a mother of two toddler boys, can you just imagine what cleaning a toilet can involve in my house. Let me just say that I was more than impressed with the results. I must mention that since I used the trick on the toilet I have started a stash of used dryer sheets in the laundry room. I don't exactly feel as if this trick is new news to the world of pinning an blogging, but tonight I took my dryer sheet upcycling to a new level.
About a year ago my husband surprised me with a set of stock pots that I absolutely adore. Except when something is scorched in them...like chili. UGH! I despise steel wool soap pads because I always get the steel wool in my fingers and I will be miserable for days trying to get the tiny piece of metal out of my aching finger. So, tonight as I'm pondering the removal of this scorched chili in the bottom of my stock pot and the fact that I'm currently out of the dreaded steel wool soap pads I had an epiphany...used dryer sheet. I worked like a dream! I did have to use two of them, but the fact is they would only end up in the garbage anyway. I scrubbed away with my upcycled dryer sheets, then washed with my usual dish cloth and soap to remove any residue or softener that might be left behind by the dryer sheet.
If the toilet trick wasn't enough to make me save my used dryer sheets, this dish washing business sure is!
About a year ago my husband surprised me with a set of stock pots that I absolutely adore. Except when something is scorched in them...like chili. UGH! I despise steel wool soap pads because I always get the steel wool in my fingers and I will be miserable for days trying to get the tiny piece of metal out of my aching finger. So, tonight as I'm pondering the removal of this scorched chili in the bottom of my stock pot and the fact that I'm currently out of the dreaded steel wool soap pads I had an epiphany...used dryer sheet. I worked like a dream! I did have to use two of them, but the fact is they would only end up in the garbage anyway. I scrubbed away with my upcycled dryer sheets, then washed with my usual dish cloth and soap to remove any residue or softener that might be left behind by the dryer sheet.
If the toilet trick wasn't enough to make me save my used dryer sheets, this dish washing business sure is!
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