Bathroom Trick

As some of you already know I am not crazy about all the cleaners out t here on the market.  For one they are full of things that I would rather not have in my home. They most always smell bad. And they always cost more than I would like to spend.

So I have been making my own bathroom cleaner for quite some time now. It cleans better than anything I had ever used (and I had used them all). It does not have the harsh chemical smell to it. And it uses 2 ingredients that I always have on the shelf anyway.  So to say the cost is low.......well lets say it is real low!!

Let me share the recipe with you and let you try it for yourself.

Bathroom Cleaner

1/2  cup dawn dish liquid (original blue)

white vinegar

 In a 32  oz. recycled spray bottle place the dawn and fill remaining bottle with white vinegar (do not shake!) Just gently turn bottle upside down a few times to mix.

Now use this to clean all the bathroom surfaces. Tubs, sinks, toilets bowls, chrome and even those hard to clean shower doors. You will be so surprised at how clean the shower doors are and how shiny the chrome becomes.

Well this week  I took this up a notch!! I placed the mixture in this:

 It makes it easier to just pick up and clean a spot or an area and not have to clean the whole room. Who knows, it might be so easy that I might get someone else to give it a try!! Now I really am not holding my breathe! I will remind you to store this upright, as it might leak from the sponge if you lay it down.

Just hang it from the ledge in the shower!

How about you, do you have any neat little cleaning tricks you would like to share? I love comments and I read every one of them.

This is linked up to home made mondays a linky party over at Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity. Stop by and check out all the neat homemade things.

Election Day 2012

Let me start out this post by saying that if you came to see alot of pictures then you are in the wrong place. I just came here today to talk to you about something that some folks will not talk about with their BFF. I came to talk to you about voting.

I look at voting as a priviledge or even a duty as an American citizen. But either way you look at it it surely is an HONOR. It is one of those things that I would walk miles to do if I had to. (even in the rain or snow!!!) (even barefoot!!) Okay, I think I made my point.

Now some people say they don't have time or that it doesn't matter if they vote or not, after all it is just one vote and that does not make a difference. Other say they don't like either candidate and don't want either one. And still others suggest that they have not heard the news stations say anything to make them want to vote or that they did not have time to watch the debates. 

Well I must be a bit different than your average "Joe" or "Jane" because I do not cast a vote depending on what the news stations or reporters have to say about them. I can look at the big picture and see that we are dealing with human beings and non of us are perfect. So I believe it is safe to say that , there are no perfect candidates, just human ones! I don't pick a candidate on the clothes he or she wears. Or where they might live. I do not decide based on whether or not they are a Democrat or a Republican.

As a Christian, I make my choices based on God's word. Things that factor in my decision are things like where they stand on abortion and gay marriage. How they look at dealing with the national debt or how they feel about the use of the welfare system. I do not even care what the newspaper or CNN or Fox News have to say.

One thing I know for sure is that even if you don't vote we will still have an election and there will still be a winner. So I guess I have to say that I hope you cared more about this election than who wins "Survivor" or American  Idol". 

Signs of Fall

As I stop and look around my world (in my yard)!! I see many signs of fall. I can't say the weather, because today is to be a high of 80+ degrees. But that too will change soon I am sure. A gentle breeze is moving the fallen leaves a round a bit. And the smells of autumn are everywhere.

I love the colors of the dogwoods at this time of the year.

And even more vibrant are the reds of the burning bush. And I must say the birds like the berries on each one of them.

Even Lil' Bit love lounging in the sun on the last of these fall days. He gets so sleepy as he gets warm that his eyes will close even with him sitting up and he will start to sway left and right.

And of coarse fall gives me the chance to display my flag on my mailbox post. The leaves on the ground need to be raked up but I like hearing them rustle as the breeze blows them around. What are your favorite parts of fall?

Fall Bowl Fillers

It is offically FALL!

I love fall, the brisk morning air, the sights of the pumpkins changing colors in the fields and the sounds of the breeze in the leaves.

So it is time to bring fall inside and enjoy it even more.

Here is a cute idea I have made and am selling in my ETSY SHOP.

They can be added to bowl or basket to brighten any table in the house.

They also look fabulous scattered on a table as decorations for a dinner. Then you can allow the guest to take one as a momento of the party.

They can be done in any colors of your choice. And also larger numbers if that is what you need.

You could also use these as party favors for showers or weddings. Then your guest would always remember your big day when they see the wildflowers that grow from the Acorns.

I would love to hear what you think and I read each and every comment that is left. Please let me know if I can answer any questions at all.

Happy Fall Ya'll!!



Baked Oatmeal

Well now fall is in the air. It was a brisk 52 degrees this morning. And it surely made you want to get up and get going. We had so much heat to deal with this summer that we somehow thought the cool air would never return. But it seems that some things never change, as the lord knows just what we need and when we need it.

 And this morning I must say I did a bit of that myself. I knew it was cool outside and that we needed something warm in our tummy's to get us going. So I pulled out a recipe that we enjoy and have not had since the hot weather had arrived. A real comfort food indeed!

             This called Baked Oatmeal and let me tell you it is divine. It is soft and gooey on
                      on the inside and a cookie bakes on top. You can tweak this recipe to suit your
              tastes by adding any fruit or nut combo you would like.

                                        Baked Oatmeal

                        1/3 cup regular oats
                        1/4 tsp. baking powder
                         2 T. cookie butter or Biscoff Spread
                         1/3 c.milk or cream
                         1 egg white
                         1/4 tsp. vanilla

Take a small one serving size oven proof dish and coat with a small amount of oil. Measure all ingredients into bowl and mix well. You can stir in fruit or nuts to your liking at this time. I have used peaches, blueberries, apples and raisins. I have also added walnut, pecans and almonds. I have used almond and maple flavoring instead of vanilla. So work with this recipe and make it your own! Bake in a 350* oven for 20 minutes or until it is puffed and set.

                      I hope you enjoy this as much as we do! And please leave me a comment I enjoy each and everyone of them.

                                                                                   

Leave the favors to me

I have always heard that May and June are big wedding months.

 And from the business I had in my Etsy Shop I can attest to that being true.

 But fall seems to be a great time for weddings as well.

 And so many folks are going for "natural" wedding themes.

Recycle, green and rustic are common searches for wedding items now.

So this is some of what I have to offer for that occasion.

                                                                              

These can be made in the colors of your choice. And any quantity that you need.

Just contact me and we can work out the detail.

It is such a joy to make the favors for someones wedding or shower. I always say a prayer over them as they are packed up, asking for a long and happy union for the wedding couple.

Please know that every comment is read and enjoyed!

Summer Memories

School has started back and all is left of summer are the memories that we have. And we can relive those special times in our hearts anythime we want to. I am sure you made memories with loved ones this summer so think about all the ways you can share them and enjoy them over and over again.

The first thing that comes to mind is "pictures". So I will share a few with you.

Seeing my grandson enjoy the surf was the best.  Just looking at this picture makes me hear the surf and relive the giggles that were going on.

I adore it when I see him and papaw doing something together that they both enjoy and this was one of those things for sure. There was so much excitement going on that I don't think either one of them got much sleep the night before.

This seagull was after the tiniest of crabs I had ever seen. They were very fast in the mud at low tide, but the seagull not so fast. He missed alot before he finally caught one.

I am sure I will find other ways to enjoy summer's days gone by!

Lots of stuff

Busy..... busy...... busy!! Lots to do and doing lots. it seems I cannot keep up this summer. I just had a few things I wanted to share with you and a short time to do it in.

The flower gardens are showing their stuff this year. Here is an example of a 4 o'clock that should be about 18 inches to 2 feet tops in height and it actually measures 4 feet 7 inches. Yup, you read that right. It just keeps growing and growing!

I just love this color and it was the theme color around my house this year.

When not in the garden I have been putting alot of produce up for the winter months. Here is some zucchini relish that I made. We love this with pinto beans or to use as relish in potato or macaroni salads. Also mix with a bit of mayo and we have fresh tarter sauce.

This is one of nature's pretties that was sent to my garden for me to enjoy. And enjoy it I did. I hope you do as well.

I love reading all your comments and don't forget there is a give away coming soon. SO if you are not a follower please join with me and get ready!

Summer's Bounty

Summer is a busy time. And this summer has been a hot time as well. So I will have to say that I have spent as much time as possible with my body submerged in water. Now it really did not matter to me if I was in a swimming pool, a lake or the ocean, as long as the water was cool and refreshing.

But as you all know summer is also the time for produce from the gardens and the country side. So here is some of what else I have been doing this summer.

These are bread and butter pickles and they will be so good during the long winter ahead.

Peaches that we bought while in South Carolina were canned up in pint jars to enjoy this winter as cobbler, shortcake or perhaps with some cottage cheese.

The rest of the peaches became peach jam. This was taste tested by the grand while it was still warm and it recieved 2 thumbs up.

Most of the time I do not capture pictures that I am extremely fond of but an exception was made when I seen this one. It is peaceful and relaxing to me and I can even hear the seagulls as I look at it. Now you might ask what in the world this has to do with "Summer's Bounty"? Well look to the left, this guy is cleaning the days catch and that is summers bounty at its best.

Our Big Adventure

Well it all started last friday around 6pm.

The hubs and I were away from home and running a few errands.

A storm came up and caught us in a resturant eating dinner. Well right in the middle of the baked potato and ribs........POW! We heard a loud pop and the power went off. Okay so dinner at Golden Corral turns into a candle light dinner for 2. Worked for us! We finished our meal and had coffee with dessert and then decided to go on to the mall since the rain had stopped and we were pretty close already. We left the mall around 9pm and headed home. (25 miles to go)

Lots of debris and leaves all over the roadway. And then we left the interstate(15 miles to go) Lots and lots of leaves and limbs on the roadway. Had about a 1/4 tank of gas and was going to stop ahead to fill up before going home. Well that was not going to happen because there was 5 stations from here to home and none of them had power and therefore could not pump gas.

Arrived home with less than an 1/8 tank of gas and found the power off to our home. Now out of the car and grabbed the flashlight to go to the backyard and survey the garden for damage. Only had a trellis broken and one yellow squash bit the dust, all else was well. Shingle still on the roof........check. No damage to gutters or down spouts from fallen limbs.......check. No damage to truck in the driveway...........check. So inside we go, water on..........check. Phone line working.......check. Raise windows......check. Placed heavy object ontop of chest freezer to make sure gasket was well sealed...........check. Now fixed large glass of iced tea and walked outside to talk to neighbors.

Well this was just the beginning of a long spell without power. But it gave us lots of time to think and reflect on what is important and who we really are. After all no one was injured and our home was in good shape so this was just a small inconvienence. So we stepped up to the plate and made the best of it.  After all our grandparents did not have AC so we could make it in a pinch. The coolest our house was inside since saturday morning was 86*. And remember there was no air movement. So we needed a cooler place to sleep and spend the days in the shade. This is what we came up with.

It may not be the prettiest in the neighborhood. But it allowed us to be in the shade and also to sit out if it was raining. Rain was a real blessing as it would cool things off and allow you to get some rest.

We found it helpful to get up and moving before daylight. This allowed us to get things done before the heat started to rise and then we could sit and rest in the heat of the day. Again we had to remember that this was the way our forefathers had done it.

We had the small pool for the dogs to get into and cool off but also we could put our feet in and cool ourselves down A bit. I also had a spray bottle that I kept filled with water so we could dampen our skin and allow it to evaporate.

This was the view from the inside looking out.

In case you can't see it it says, 111 degrees. It was hot and we ate well and had lots of water. Ice was a problem as there was none to be had. Locally there was no gasoline as well because of no power to pump it with. But as of late monday evening we were back to normal.........well we at least we had the power back on!

But if you are a chihuahua you love every minute of life no matter what the temp is outside!

Teaching Survival Skills

I love sitting in the swing and watching all the things around me. This is my early morning routine. It gives me a time to plan my day and spend time with the lord. And he always takes this time to feed my soul.

I spotted this robin making her way around the yard one morning. She was poking in the fresh tilled soil looking for bugs and the occasional red worm. And as I had the camera to my eye what came into the fame was a bit of a surprise! But a welcomed on.

Momma robin did not seem alarmed at all the little one had came so close to me. I continued to watch and enjoy the show. She would hop around on the dirt pile and chatter to the fledgling, telling him/her to do it like this! All the while poking her beak in and out of the dirt.

Imagine my surprise when baby #2 showed up! Let me tell you sitting still was not an easy thing to do at this point! She continued to teach the skills that they would need to survive. And let me tell you,since I don't speak bird I am not for sure what she was telling them but it sure sounded to me like she was saying, "did you hear me? pay attention........you are going to have to know how to do this stuff........I am not going to be around forever"!

From time to time she would even have to get their attention!! It was such a pleasure to see these lessons being taught right before my eyes and it truly made me stop and see the parallel with our lives and our human children. We all have to be prepared to take care of ourselves, to step out into the world and deal with life, no matter what it hands us. Prepared to handle life's diversities by responding and not just reacting when the going gets tough. We are who we are in life because of the choices we make.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil.4:13

Getting In Some Fishing

I thought I would share a bit of what the hubs was doing this past weekend.

He was in upstate West Virginia doing a bit of fly fishing.

That is his new found hobby or should I say love!

This was on the Potomac River not far from The Mouth of Seneca. It is beautiful in that area

and so relaxing to be on the water.

He took part in this weekend trip as part of a "Project Healing Waters". It is a wonderful

resource for our veterans and participating service members.

Time Change

Spring forward,

Set up your clock,

Turn up your clock,

Daylight savings time!!

No matter what you call it it starts tomorrow at 2am.

So in most households that means changing the clocks before you go to bed.

 So don't forget or you will be late for church in the morning.

I don't know about you but in the fall when we "fell back" it really bothered me. It took me days to get life back to normal. What ever normal is around here!! It messed up my sleep pattern and just made me feel yucky!

So I am waiting to see how my body will respond to "springing forward" !

How about you! Does it bother you one way or the other? It never bothered me till last fall......I must be getting old or something!!

Show Casing A Great Etsy Artist

I am starting something new here on my blog. I want to share some great Etsy artists with you over the next several weeks.

There is so much talent on Etsy and as I have met my fellow etsians I have realized they are real people with a passion.

So today I want to introduce Dennis from Cripple Creek Woodwork. Dennis has a wonderful shop that is just overflowing with raw talent. He is a 3rd generation craftsman who loves to use reclaimed and recycled wood when ever possible. So if you are into going green and saving the planet. This is a shop you won't want to miss.

Here are a few examples of the craftsmanship you will find in his shop. And believe me you will be amazed at some of the things you find that are made from wood.

Each piece in his shop is made by his own hands. He has no helpers or workers so perfect attention goes into even the smallest of details.

 

Whether you are looking for a great handcrafted gift or a lovely yet useful diplay piece, your needs can all be met at Cripple Creek Woodwork! And is this not the most adorable toybox you have ever seen?

If you are looking for something and you can't find it. Then you need to talk to Dennis. He loves to work with your idea and make it perfect just for you. I know this from experience! I was looking for a simple yet handcrafted drop spindle and after talking to Dennis for just a short while I knew he was the perfect fit .

Isn't it beautiful and let me tell you the only thing smoother is a babies butt!!

I am so happy with my drop spindle and I a thrilled to be able to share this great shop with you today. I just love comments and I read everyone (sometimes more than once)! I am going to have a drawing when I reach 50 followers so please sign up today to follow me and lets get the ball rolling.

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE!

Happy New Year!!!

2012 is here and we all have a New Year ahead of us.The first thing I did this morning was praise the lord for just that, another year. Now may I take it and make it all he wants it to be.

Today started out just like anyother morning with things to do and food to ccok. On the menu today will be pinto beans (since dh doesn't do black-eyed peas)! and I will fix venison tenderloin, fried cabbage and corn bread to go with them. Relaxing at home today and playing some card games and some Wii I am sure.

What are your family traditions for this first day of the new year?

Do you all have big plans for 2012?