Your Shower Curtain, Better Than New!

Did I already mention I'm obsessed with cleaning? Yes? Ok, good.

So, after Mike and I had been married about a year, I went into the bathroom one day and said, "Yikes, we need a new shower curtain!" The old one was covered in hard water and a little mildew, yuck! Being the poor newly-wed college students that we were, I decided it wouldn't hurt anything and could save us some $$ if I just cleaned it. I spread it out on the living room floor that night and attacked it with a spray bottle of vinegar water and a damp rag. It was a total pain in the behind and not worth a $5 shower curtain. The next year I decided there had to be an easier way...

There is!

*Cue washing machine noises*

Now each year when I'm doing my deep cleaning, or I notice it needs it, I just follow these 4 easy steps:

1. Take the shower curtain off the rings.

2. Put it in the washing machine with about 1/2 a cup of vinegar. I just run it on the regular cycle. I've done it in old machines at apartment complexes and in my new machine. You can also use your regular detergent if you want, but you don't need to.

3. Transfer it to the dryer on low heat for about 10 or 15 minutes. Be careful not to leave it in too long, or it can melt or burn it.

4. Hang it back up and admire your "better than new" shower curtain!

There you have it! These 4 easy steps will save you plenty of $$ in new shower curtains, not to mention all that work redecorating to match! ;)

Diaper Rash

My baby has sensitive skin. We have to be really careful about what diapers, wipes, lotion, and body wash that we buy for her. We have been battling diaper rash from the beginning and 18 months later I can finally say that we have a solution and a system. I have a select group of products that I use and we can avoid diaper rash all together. However, what do you do when your baby already has a rash!? There was one period of time that my baby's poor bum suffered an on-going rash until I finally found the holy grail of diaper rash creams. It wasn't easy, I tried faithfully using all of the top brands available at the grocery store until the tubes were empty and the rash was still red as Rudolph's nose. But when my aunt suggested using Balmex and let me sample using her tube for a couple of days, I was sold. It was the only cream that was able to heal the rash and in a matter of a couple days! Balmex is also a great heat rash solution. My aunt lives in a hot climate and she uses Balmex regularly to treat heat rash. Another awesome remedy is lavender oil. The ratio is 1 drop of lavender to 1 tablespoon of carrier oil. My sister puts it in a mini pump spray bottle to make it easy to apply. Like a travel size pump hairspray bottle. She uses this solution regularly with her baby and she loves it!!!

If your baby doesn't have a rash then you want to take the necessary measures to avoid one from developing. For my baby, it took a combination of products to finally reach bum happiness. We use Pampers Snugglers Diapers. These keep the dampness away from her skin and allow her bum to breath! Also, they don't leak and the blow-out incidents are drastically lower. The next most important ingredient are sensitive wipes. I use Huggies Natural Wipes because my baby's skin is too sensitive for scented products and the natural ones are unscented. Switching from regularly wipes to natural wipes made the biggest difference for my baby. 

Next, I am very picky about lotions now. For the first year of my baby's life I used the lotions that had been given to me as baby gifts. Although these lotions were high-end brands, I noticed that my baby started getting bumps on her back and bum. I switched to an unscented lotion and the bumps went away! I use Aveeno unscented baby lotion and I love the results. No funny business, just baby soft skin! Last but not least, I quit using my normal baby wash because my baby's hair and skin started feeling dry. I went on a hunt for an awesome natural baby body and hair wash and I found one. Honest Company Shampoo and Body Wash. It is natural AND smells delicious!?! Once I added this beauty to our bath tub ledge I have to admit that I was tempted to start using it for my myself! 

These products have saved my baby's keister (literally!!) and I hope they can save yours too. 

DIY to New Headlights!

Our headlights have been driving my husband crazy for awhile now. Anytime we pass the front of the car he mentions how cloudy they look and how he needs to do something about it. Well, today he had a few extra minutes, so he did and they look great!

It was super easy, too!

Well, of course it was easy for me, all I had to do was sit back and watch my handsome hubby scrub away... but it was pretty easy for him, too. ;)

All it takes is some water, about a 1/2 cup of baking soda, a cup of vinegar, and a scrubber.

He started by rinsing the headlight and wiping off any dirt or bugs.

Then, he took the cup of baking soda and poured enough vinegar in to make a paste.

Next, he rubbed the headlight with the paste in a circular motion until he could start to see it clear up.

Finally, he wiped it and let it dry.

Repeat as needed until your headlights shine!

He did say that it takes quite a bit of elbow grease, but we were pretty happy with the results.

**Make sure that you either mask the paint and chrome around the lights or are very careful when scrubbing with the paste, because it will scratch the paint.**

$4 Spring Decor

I love decorating according to the season, so in honor of spring I created some fresh decor for our home and you are going to love it! One thing about me, I usually operate on the cheap, I love getting a good deal and saving some cash! That is why I ran to the dollar store for this project.

I literally spent $4 on my cute plants and tray. The Dollar Tree is selling these cute little succulents in those adorable white pots for $1. They also have black if you decide you like that color better, I stuck with white for a fresh spring-y look. I really wanted an adorable white tray to place my little plant treasures on, but I couldn't find one all ready to go. So, I went to the party plasticware section and found a clear plastic tray.

 I took it home and painted it white with some paint I had leftover from my dresser makeover project (post to come!). I coated the tray about 3 times for thorough coverage. I let the paint dry about 8 hours and then placed my cute plants on it. This ensemble can brighten up any space. I think the window sill would be really cute, on a sofa table, or just about anywhere! Enjoy the decor and enjoy spring! 

Shine Up Your Bling!

Spring is here, and so is wedding season.

In fact, we have a wedding coming right up in our family!

Am I the only one who hates to head off to a bridal shower or reception with my ring looking all grimy? It seems as though everyone is checking out rings and other bling at weddings, so I like mine all shined up!

Here's a quick way to shine up your bling before heading out on the town:

All you need is a glass bowl or container, some vinegar, and a soft scrub brush.

Start by pouring enough vinegar in your glass container to cover your jewelry.

Let it soak in the vinegar for about 20 minutes.

Next, pull it out and scrub all the cracks and crevices with the soft scrub brush. I love using a fresh toothbrush from the dollar store for this.

Rinse it with some clean water, and you're all ready to go!

Now I'm ready to head off to this wedding!

Party Decor Transforms to Nursery Decor

1st Birthday Party:

Nursery:

Creating an adorable birthday party can take a lot of preparation and work. When I was working on the party decorations for my baby girl's first birthday I spent a lot of time making each piece, purchasing the necessary items, and matching the style and colors. After the party was over, I wanted to put all of the decorations to good use. I found that using the party decorations as nursery decorations is actually really easy and so cute!!!

1st Birthday Party:

Nursery:

First Birthday Party:

Nursery:

One of my favorite decorating items that transformed from party to nursery perfectly was the rag banner. I hung my banner behind Kirra for her cake smash and after the party created a window treatment in her room out of it. 

1st Birthday Party:

Nursery:

Another perfect piece of decor for both parties and a baby's nursery is garland. I made a dot garland out of paper and string. I used it as decor behind the "one" sign at her party and then hung it above her crib afterwards. 

1st Birthday Party:

Nursery:

I purchased a gold "K" for the refreshment table at Kirra's party and it has been really versatile and cute in the nursery!

1st Birthday Party:

Nursery:

If I learned anything through this process, it is that decorating should be fun. Just let loose and use whatever style you love. It will all come together.

Magic Cleaner

Last year at about this same time my mom called me to chat one day. 

She said, "Hey, what are you up to?" 

I replied, "I'm just scrubbing the top of my fridge with a toothbrush."

"...You're what?"

And I'm not sure that I'll ever live it down...

I'm now The Woman Who Scrubs The Top Of Her Fridge With A Toothbrush. What do ya do?

Anyway, have you ever crawled up there to check it out? It gets all greasy and gunky, especially if it's close to your stove top, like mine. 

My favorite secret weapon for tackling that nastiness is Magic Cleaner.

You haven't ever heard of it? Well, it's made of two things you already have in your cupboard, and it's perfect for tackling everything from grease and grime to hard water and soap scum.

It's super easy to make.

First, take a cup of vinegar and heat it up for one minute in the microwave. Then, add a good sized squeeze of Dawn Dish Soap to it and swirl it together. (I've seen other recipes for this cleaner that require quite a bit more Dawn, but when I've tried them they created so much suds that I couldn't wash them off. This ratio works best for me) Voila! Magic Cleaner!

Pour it into a good spray bottle and you're ready to go.

The cleaning properties of the vinegar combine with the de-greasing properties of the dawn to make a killer cleaner. The Dawn also helps the vinegar stick to surfaces that would otherwise be difficult to let a cleaner sit on, such as bath room walls or the side of the fridge.

In case you need some convincing, I just used this on top of my fridge tonight.

I sprayed it on, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then scrubbed it up.

The top is where I scrubbed, the bottom is still dirty. See how much better it is?!

I had an unknown vegetable oil leak up there I was tackling, so I used my trusty scrub brushes to tackle it after letting it soak in.

If it's not that bad, all you'll need is a warm wet rag to wipe the grease right off.

Spray Bottle Tips:

Reuse an empty cleaner bottle for your homemade cleaners.

Head over to Family Dollar for the most perfect spray bottle ever! Only $1!(The one in the pic)

Grab this pack of 6 by Member's Mark(You'll probably find uses for 6, I'm already up to 5, haha)

Happy Spring Cleaning!

DIY Carpet Cleaner

Sparkling floors make me feel put together. In honor of spring, I decided I wanted to tackle my dirty carpets. I vacuum about twice a week, but the traffic areas in our home had been discolored and matted beyond the abilities of my vacuum. 

I looked into professional cleaners and renting a carpet cleaning unit from Walmart. All of the options seemed pricey and beyond the amount I was prepared to invest into a home that I rent. I decided that this was totally something I could figure out how to do on my own. I started by mixing warm water, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. 

I also filled a bowl with warm water for rinsing. 

This bowl was also perfect for keeping my toddler busy while I scrubbed. As you may have noticed in the picture of my soapy bowl, I used a white scrub brush to scrub the the soapy mixture into the carpet. This mixture worked ok on the dingy spots in my carpet but once I arrived at the worst spot, I needed stronger reinforcements. I added my secret cleaning ingredient OxiClean and I was amazed with the results. 

Make sure to put some elbow grease into it. I scrubbed the trouble spot and left one lone area uncleaned so that you can see the difference. 

I would highly recommend adding OxiClean to your cleaning products. I literally use it for everything. When it comes to baby stains in clothing there is no comparison. I also add it to every load of laundry to brighten my colors and whites alike. It works on patio furniture, grout, carpets, upholstery, and more. I love that I don't have to keep a million different cleaners around because this one product does the job of about 6 cleaners. Happy spring cleaning! 

Deep Clean Your Bathroom with 3 Household Products

I already admitted my love to deep clean, so now you get to hear all about it for awhile!

A couple years ago I started to hear about cleaning your house with natural products. I was drawn in by the fact that it would save me from having to buy expensive cleaners anymore, loved the fact that I wouldn't have to worry about my toddler getting into my cleaning supplies and getting sick, and the fact that it would limit our family's exposure to harsh chemicals was like icing on the cake. I was sold! Fast forward three years, and I do almost all my cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. When I'm deep cleaning, I still love a little bleach to help whiten things up. These are my three go-to products for deep cleaning the bathroom.

It's easy and cost-effective, need I say more?!

I start by doing my regular cleaning with my vinegar-and-water spray bottle and pin-pointing any spots that might need a little extra help. Then, I bust out the baking soda and my cleaning brushes.

I love my giant bag of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, because I never have to worry about it running out!

I pour some baking soda in a cup, wet my cleaning brush(which is actually a dollar store toothbrush), dip it in the baking soda, and start to scrub. I love how easy the toothbrush makes it to get into the little crevices around the faucet and drain. I just scrub the spots that I think need some extra help. You can scrub the paste on and leave it for awhile before you wipe it off, or you can scrub it right off if it's not very bad.

In my bathtub this time I had some red algae that's been giving me troubles and some soap scum. Can you see the red streak down the wall? Gross!

To loosen up that scum and algae, I sprayed on my magic cleaner and let it sit for awhile. I'll tell you all about my magic cleaner in a future post, so stay tuned! ;)

Then I used a bigger scrub brush for the tub, sprinkled the baking soda right on it after I got it wet, and started scrubbing.

The soap scum came right off and shined right up!

The algae needed a little extra convincing...

This is where my good friend Bleach came in. I grabbed a bowl, a roll of paper towels, and headed for the bathroom.

I love my select-a-size paper towels for this, they're the perfect size!

I poured some bleach into the bowl, tore five or six sheets of paper towels, and put them in the bowl, too. After they soaked full of bleach, I pulled them out one-at-a-time and placed them on the problem areas in the tub. This time I used them around the edge of the tub, but I've also used them down in the bottom of the tub and they whitened it up great, as well.

Next, I just left them there for about 20 minutes. Don't forget to leave the fan going so the smell isn't too strong when you go back in!

When I went back in, I pulled them off, threw them away, and ta-da, all white again!

Now I can move that slip of paper into the Ta-Done Jar!