An Affair To Remember

As far as appliances go, there are tons of completely unncessary ones on the market. The Keurig machine, however, is not one of them. But you know, I never really drank much coffee.



I do now.



I mean those tiny little cups are just so irresistible. Perfectly portioned and air tight, the way the seal pops in the machine makes me giggle like a small child. Even the gurgling sounds-a-bit-like-bodily-functions stream of caramel colored liquid is mesmerizing enough to make my eyes pop out of my head Bugs Bunny style. Are you feeling the love yet?

If the very thought of owning one of these beauties is making you drool with envy, let me give you a tip. Bed, Bath, and Beyond carries Keurigs and the sweet little cups (which can also be found at your local grocer), and sends out 20% off coupons regularly that never expire (despite the fact that they are dated). So while $139 (for the Special Edition) might sound a bit steep, thinking of the 20% off plus a lifetime of perfect hot beverage goodness will ease the blow. Trust me, once you sip your first cup of liquid gold, you'll forget all about the price tag.

Keeping It Clean

After converting a couple of months ago to Mrs. Meyer*s cleaning products, I have been loving the way my house and clothes feel clean and fresh-but not sterile or bleach smelling. Continuing on my path to all natural enlightenment, I decided to try my hand at actually making my own cleaning products. That way I can make sure that I am using natural ingredients, but I don't have to spend a lot of money on the pre-made stuff.

While searching for recipes, I came across this one from Bonzai Aphrodite. I read a bit of her blog, and it's pretty neat. She talks about how even the most urban household can make small changes to embrace more of a farmer's philosophy. Here is her recipe.

Laundry Detergent

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

1 cup baking soda

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

1/4 cup liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's)

Pre-measure all your powdered ingredients into a non metal container. Grab a large non metal bowl and start with the vinegar. Add all the powder in while constantly stirring (with a wooden or plastic spoon), if you stop you'll end up with a hard rock! Once everything is incorporated and lump-free, add the liquid soap. It will be liquidy for awhile, and then slowly thicken. Stir for another few minutes, and you'll end up with a soft clumpy loaf. Store in an airtight container. Use 1/4 cup per load.

*note- I like to put it in while the washer is filling and dissolve it before adding clothes.

Cost Breakdown

Borax (4lb box)- $3.74

Washing Soda (3lb 7oz box)- $2.95

White Vinegar (1 gal)- $2.37

Baking Soda (2lb box)- $1.00

Dr. Bronner's Lavendar Castile Soap (.5 lb bulk priced at $5.49/lb)- $2.75

Total Ingredient Cost: $12.81, and this will make several batches! Making your own detergent averages about $0.01-$0.03/per load! Plus, all of these ingredients can be used in other cleaning solutions like dish soap, dishwasher soap, bathroom scrub, glass cleaner, and all purpose cleaner.

Here are some other recipes from Bonzai Aphrodite that I want to try.

Dish Soap

1 cup liquid Castile soap

3 tablespoons water

a few drops essential oil (if using unscented Castile soap)

Combine all ingredients in a bottle!

Powder Dishwasher Detergent (not for hardwater)

1 part borax

1 part washing soda

Distilled white vinegar

Combine the powders in a bowl and mix well, breaking apart any clumps. Transfer to an airtight container to store. Use 1 tbsp of mixture per load. Fill your machine’s rinse indicator with white vinegar, for that extra sparkle.

The Claw

I'm probably in the minority here as far as DIYers go, but I prefer spray paint over brush paint any day of the week. Why? When applied properly, I find the finish to be much smoother than anything I've been able to achieve with a brush. Also, there is the convenience factor-it gets into those curves and crevices without breaking a sweat. It dries super quickly which is great for impatient people like me. In fact, the only negatives I've found are 1) cost and 2) finger cramps.

The cost is higher, there's no doubt about that...you can make a $8 quart of paint last through many projects, whereas a can of decent spray paint will run you about $3 a can. I offset this by priming with brush primer (unless it's a super intricate piece-then I'll use spray primer) and then following with a few coats of the $0.99/can cheap stuff before applying my final color. On my kitchen chairs, I was able to get away with 1 can each of primer, flat black, and Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze (tip: Walmart carries this brand, and it's cheaper than at Home Depot at $2.67/can).

I've finally found a solution to the second problem: the cramping. When you spray paint as much as I do, it's like boot camp for your hands. Even with switching hands (which can make for interesting results!), my index fingers get sore. The higher quality paint usually has a better trigger, but if you paint long enough you'll still end up with the claw. Enter the simplest little make-life-easier tool ever invented for the rattle can, The Spray Grip by Rustoleum

For less than $3, you can turn any can of spray paint into a spray gun- improving control and virtually eliminating hand cramping. You just slide it on the can and squeeze the trigger. I used it to paint my kitchen chairs, and WOW what a difference. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves to spray paint. I found mine in Walmart with the paint, but I'm sure any place that carries the rattle cans will also have this genius invention! Happy (claw free) painting!

Crafty Coupons

If you're still paying full price at your local craft store, check out these links:

AC Moore

Michaels

Hobby Lobby

Now you can create your own sale anytime you want!

It's A Hard Knot Life

The second I laid eyes on my hardwood floors I immediately went out and bought a Swiffer Wet Jet. I mean this is the epitome of floor cleaning genius, isn't it?

Well after a few years of use, I started noticing nasty build up on my floors. I could tell the dirt was just getting coated over with the "juice" and disguised as shine. Completely grossed out and feeling swindled, I began exploring a plethora of alternatives: special hardwood floor cleaners from Home Depot, Murphy's old fashioned floor soap...I even thought about buying a "real" mop. Then I heard about the Shark Steam Mop. Convinced it would give me the gleaming, clean floors of my dreams, I hurried over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond with coupon in hand to purchase this beacon of hope. To be honest, it was also a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure many people are happy with it (and even their Swiffer!) but with 3 cats, a dog, and a "shoes on" house-our knotty oak floors need serious care. I wanted it to feel clean under my feet-not just have a fake shine.

The problem was that I love the ease of the Swiffer, but the natural goodness of the Shark.

Enter Mrs. Meyer*s All Purpose Cleaner. Now I'd read about this stuff in a few places, but I only just recently decided to take the plunge and buy a bottle. Let me tell you the Lemon Verbena (the only scent I saw in my Target) smells AMAZING. It really makes the whole room smell fresh, and I absolutely fell in love with it.

I love this stuff so much that I actually hand scrubbed my floors to get all that gunk off from all my previous dabbling in floor cleaning technology. Then I devised a way to make my Swiffer do the dirty work for me. We happened to have a mostly empty bottle of Swiffer Cleaner, so against the on-pain-of-death instructions on the label I opened it up to (GASP!) refill it. I diluted some of the Clean Day concentrate with water and put the top back on. Sure enough, it worked! Now I can mop my floor easily with the cleaner I love :)