Hey, all the cool people were at the bookstores last night picking up the last installment of the Harry Potter series. Were you there? It was a fun place to be. This pic doesn't actually show the costumes that were there. Some people went all out and did a great job on their costumes. I'm actually going to miss these things.
My own personal little book nerd there in the middle. Ahhh...a chip off the old block.
Just a quick tip as I am out the door for a busy day. I was at Wal Mart the other day looking for a window washing tool. I can't reach the top part of my outside windows and thought there might be a squeege with an extension handle or something.
They have a window washing tool with a cloth cover on the end that they sell for $15. That seemed high to me. After some thought I went to my dollar tree and picked up a sponge mop for $1 and used it to wash the outside windows . After a rinse with the garden hose I let them air dry and they look great and I saved $14.
A tip is to never to wash windows that are directly in sunlight and they will usually dry spot free.
For more tips and ideas check out Crystal's site
I've been very busy again this week and haven't had the time or energy to post anything. Today after I finished the work I had to do, finished the housework on my list and completed the errands I had to run, I decided to stop by a couple of my favorite thrift stores.
I'm really glad I did! After years of looking for a good price on a dehydrator I finally found one for only $3! I'm so excited. I have been using my make do version that works but this will be nicer because it came with 4 trays and I picked up a couple of extra for only 50 cents each. I don't think they came with this dehydrator but they fit anyway. I already have mushrooms drying.
I also picked up some vintage Tupperware. I've not seen the cookware before. It says on the bottom it works in regular or microwave ovens. I'll have to check that out. If anyone has any info on it I'd appreciate it. I only paid $2 for the Tupperware and a few other small items.
Tomorrow my hubby and I are headed over to Muddy Pond, a Mennonite community near Crossville, Tn. We do business with a nice Mennonite couple at their store The Country Porch. I am so looking forward to a piece of delicious homemade Coconut cake there. It is the best I have ever had.
I also hope to go by the General Store there and the Bakery. I want to pick up some Sticky Buns and other goodies. I'll try to get some good pictures to post.
Then tomorrow night we are off to the Harry Potter party. We have been to every one since the first book. My son is looking forward to it. Until next time. God Bless.
I like my house to smell nice. I've found that many artificial fragrances bother both my husband and me. I've found an easy and natural way to add fragrance to our home and it only cost pennies.
I take a jar and fill it about one half to three quarters full of Epsom salt. I want to leave room in the jar to shake it and mix the ingredients. To this I add the leaves and flowers and the chopped up stalks from lavender plants.
The Epsom salts leach the moisture out of the plant material and smells wonderful. When I want fragrance I just shake the jar and remove the lid.
I add plant material through out the growing season. In the winter if I need to refresh the scent I add a few drops of essential oil. For more tips check out Crystal's site.
First of all let me say: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. I am not suggesting that anyone should try this without speaking to your doctor first.
Alrighty then. It has been long said that if you don't have seasonal allergies when you move to East Tennessee you will soon get them. A truer statement has never been uttered. Everyone I know who have moved to this area complains about allergies within a year or more of being here. What makes this area so beautiful also makes an allergy sufferer beg for mercy.
The Great Smoky Mountain National park's abundance and variety of plant and animal life have earned it the United Nations designation of International Biosphere Reserve. More than 1,600 species of flowering plants, including 100 species of native trees, 200 species of birds, about 50 species of fish and 60 species of mammals call the park home. There are 30 species of salamanders that live within the Smokies. Makes me sneeze just to think about it.
I have had a really bad time this past year with sinus drainage and coughing. I have used various medications until Oprah came to my rescue! I watched the Dr. on one of her medical shows demonstrated a Netti Pot. The first time I saw it I cringed and said a big "No Way!", but then on a follow up show I saw people talking about how the Netti pot had changed their lives and that they no longer struggled with allergy problems. I decided maybe I should give it a try.
I went out and bought one and started using it that day. Within 2 days my coughing had almost completely cleared up and the sinus headaches I woke up with everyday were gone! I kid you not! It was like a miracle.
I have been using it for almost a month now and I can really tell the difference if I forget. Everything isn't perfect. On really bad days I still have some problems, but nothing like what I had before.
Again, let me say I am not suggesting that you use this without consulting your Doctor first. For more tips check out Rocks In My Dryer
OK, I'll admit it. I have quite a crush on Josh Groban. I mean he is just so darn cute and his voice is so fantastic and he is...young enough to be my son! YIKES!
Seriously, he is a great singer and performer. So go over there to the sidebar and stop my music, then watch this video. It is one of my very favorites.
I've noticed the past few years that cleaning products have started to bother me. After cleaning the bathroom or kitchen I would be coughing and my eyes would itch. I discovered the recipe for homemade laundry detergent online and decided to make a version of it for cleaning.
I have been using the pink Zote soap in mine simply because that is what I have found at a good price. My soap consist of only 3 ingredients: A half bar of Zote soap, grated, about a half cup of Washing Soda and about a gallon of hot water. I don't bother to add the Borax called for in the laundry soap recipe because it is for whitening and odor removal and I don't think I need that in this recipe. I melt the soap in a pan on the stove and then stir in the Washing Soda, (the mixture starts to thicken when the washing soda is added) simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, allow to cool enough to transfer to storage containers. Soap will thicken as it cools. Mine is fairly thick. The more water you add the softer it will be. Experiment until you get a consistency you like.
Before I transfer it to the storage containers I add essential oils for fragrance. I added Lavender and Peppermint to mine. The Zote soap has a light floral fragrance that blends well with it.
I use this soap for cleaning almost anything. I have found it works well for floors, bathroom fixtures, to pre-treat laundry and even to wash dishes (It cuts grease well). I just mix in about a third of a cup with about a gallon or so of water. I use more, or sometimes even straight, if it is a tough cleaning job.
As I run out of cleaners I have on hand, I am replacing them with natural products such as vinegar and baking soda. I also use micro fiber cloths. I get mine in the auto department at Wal Mart. I use them on my Swiffer for mopping as well as regular cleaning. Using natural products not only helps me, but it helps the environment as well.
If you want the honest spiritual truth, my prayer is this:
Dear God, get me out of this mess.
Rita Mae Brown
It has been a busy week around here. We worked in the business everyday, including the 4th. Work, combined with the extremely hot weather, has left me feeling tired, physically and emotionally.I get into a kind of depression this time of year. We are so busy with our business that everything else goes to the wayside, especially my house.
I had planned to have a yard sale this year. There were boxes crammed with books, clothes, knickknacks and whatnots under my garage. Every time I would carry another box out to the pile I felt this felling of chaos and confusion engulf me. I began to look at that pile of stuff with such a feeling of despair.
It became a pressure that I felt stuck or mired in. A distressing situation that I couldn't find the time to change. I knew I had enough for a very good yard sale, but it became more important to me to just get rid of the stuff. In doing so I hoped to clear my mind as well as my garage.
I guess I'll always be a messy person. I don't always make my bed. I don't always hang up things after I wear them. I've been known to leave a towel laying in the floor. Being messy causes small miseries to pile up as well. Things get lost or broken. I get embarrassed when people come over and everything isn't like I want it to be. I've found that when my house is messy, my life is usually messy as well.
When everything gets to the point where I can't stand it anymore, the only thing to do is purge and clean. Reach for the broom and the garbage bags and boxes and clean it all up. That is what I have been doing. I took two truck loads to Goodwill and the dump and two truck loads of weight off my mind and spirit.
In some cases always holding on to items "in case we need them", or making a decision that may save or make us a few dollars, but requires a lot of effort on our part, may feel like the most frugal thing to do. In reality it can bind us and keep us from receiving a much greater blessing or prevent us from using our time and effort where it is most needed. Being frugal isn't just about stuff or money. It is also about being wise with our greatest resource... our enegry and our own peace of mind.
"Prayer and housekeeping---they go together. They have always gone together. We simply know that our daily round is how we live. When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow also cleaning and ordering ourselves." Gunilla Norris
Grand Funk Railroad. They can still Rock the house! Please excuse my video work. I take better still pics than moving ones! The quality diminishes switching this from a QuickTime clip as well.
I think others will like it too . You Grow Girl has a great post about growing plants in plastic bags. Check it out. Too cool!
Gracious Hospitality has great pictures and instructions on making Lavender baskets. I'll have to try one of those.
Teri's Paper Dolls is a site I found awhile back. If you like paper dolls you will love the site. Check it out.
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management was published back in 1861. An interesting read. Women took the art of homemaking very seriously. We are so blessed to have so many conveniences today.
If you take part in the Walgreens rebate programs, here is a website that list their rebates by month.
Pic: Lavender in my yard. The only thing growing well in this drought.
Come back soon.
Sunset last night.