Natural Vinegar Alternative for Cleaning

I’ve had a list of homemade cleaning recipes for several years. It’s not advertised anymore, but anyone who signs up in the form on the right, gets the cleaning recipes emailed to them for free on day 2 :). Every recipe is tested by me, works, and is super frugal to make.

Women cleaning a window 3

A lot of my homemade recipes use vinegar. It’s cheap and it works. But what if you are sensitive to vinegar? Is there anything else to use?

Yes! Vinegar works because it’s an acid. Acids break down bases like soap scum and hard water deposits and kill germs. That’s why we water bath can acid foods like salsa or applesauce. Their acid environments are already hostile to germs. But foods like green beans and meat have to be pressure canned to get the temperature high enough to kill germs in their non acid states. Oops, got off topic there. 🙂

But just being an acid doesn’t do anything for grease. Have you ever seen how vinegar and oil won’t mix in salad dressing? So vinegar alone isn’t the answer to all our cleaning problems.

lemons

Anyhoo, if you can’t use vinegar or can’t stand the smell, try lemon juice. It smells great and has similar acid properties to vinegar. The only drawback is, it’s not shelf stable like vinegar is. So any of your lemon juice cleaning preparations should be stored in the fridge, or stirred up one recipe at a time. And no reason to buy expensive fresh squeezed stuff. Lemon juice from concentrate (Aldi carries it) will work just fine.

Stay tuned for more recipes this week–like natural oven cleaner and how to clean the grossest microwave effortlessly!

Update on Cleaning Week

I blinked and lost a week!  I’ve been crazy busy here making the final switch over to a new menu website.  And I’m super excited about it.  The menu service is now being hosted at http://www.groceryshrinkplus.com which gives me the ability to offer discounts for subscribing for longer periods at once.  You know how I love a good discount!

I’ve also been on the phone a lot interviewing programmers to make the site even more amazing.  That’s all I can say about that, until everything is closer to finalization.  But IF all the new stuff means prices go up on the site, those who are already subscribers won’t be affected by the increase.  Hmmmm, not a bad reason to jump on board now :).

Also, I’ve been busy planning Heidi’s 13th birthday party.  I’m going to use the printables above to make the table super cute. The guest list was the hardest part.  She could have easily invited 30 girls, but that just wouldn’t work out. We did NOT want to leave anyone out–what’s to do? Originally we were hoping for an indoor pool party, but our local pool had swim meets every weekend for 2 months and we just didn’t want to wait that long.  A pool party could have had unlimited guests. We decided on a Mystery/Treasure hunt party at our home.  My mom came over this morning and helped me plan all the clues.  Oh My!  I’m still giggling.  It’s going to be a fun time with a small group of girls.

cleaning supplies

I missed cleaning week last week so plan to pick up where I left off this week. I’ve had some requests to see pictures of my kid’s bedrooms and what we are doing for organization there.  I hope to do that this week too.  I feel pretty inadequate in that area.  I have so many plans for their spaces but am severely limited on time and money right now.  But I have good news!  We have a contract on our old house.  Inspections are done, and all that is left is for the financing to come through on their end.  It will feel very good to have that chapter in our lives closed and then we will be able to talk about what’s to be done in our new house!

So anyway, next week I’ll share some of my favorite cleaning recipes.  And some of the new beauty recipes I’ve seen to help us get through dry skin season and get ready for Valentine’s Day.

So the two questions I have for you are: What cleaning recipe would you love to find most?  And what is your biggest beauty trouble spot you’d love to solve naturally?

Not a Swimming Pool

But I’m excited. Here’s a before shot:

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This is actually a picture of the twin closet in the adjoining room. But they were set up the same. I painted it ultra pure white, even the ceiling. It helps reflect the most amount off light in the windowless space, and shows the clothes in their true colors.

And After:

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I’d like to make cute labels for the baskets. But for now I’m just putting things away.  RugsUSA.com is hinting at a nice black friday rug sale and I’m thinking about getting one of these for the closet floor if they go cheap enough. Do you have a favorite?

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Or

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I also plan to look for an affordable large framed mirror for the end of the room. Old Time Pottery usually has somethig fantastic at a good price.

I snagged this one on second discount from Big Lots:

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It’s too girly for them though. I hung it in the Living room already even though I still need to paint. You can see a smidge of the new paint color peeking to the right of the mirror.

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It’s a light taupy gray and looks awesome with white trim. I used it in the bottom half of my dining room.

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She’s already to lay the paper floor over the ugly vinyl. I’m so glad I made a detailed tutorial on how to do this a few years ago on my blog. It’s been so long, I need a refresher. Caleb is holding his breath for me to finish it, so he can have his birthday party. He was 11 October 22nd and still hasn’t gotten his cake or presents yet!  Whatever I do for his party, it better be good. The saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.

The Best News!

The following is not the best news…..that comes at the end, lol. Grant has the chicken pox…I think.  Fever for 2 days, spots starting in the diaper area, spreading all over….  He was pretty miserable before the spots broke out yesterday evening.  But feels a lot better now. This is perfect timing for us.  I hope this doesn’t sound mean, but it would be nice if Brandon and W.D. come down with it soon.  Then the whole family would have life time immunity.

Eating Mulberries from our trees

My Green Beans and Okra are up.

The sweet bell peppers have blossomed–the chili peppers have not.  Maybe they won’t cross-pollinate?

Our house in Kansas City is listed for sale!  4 bedroom 2 full 2 half baths.  All new inside…..you’d love it.  And it’s priced to sell.

And the best news of all:

Mark is coming to build out my office shelves tomorrow.  We’ve been busy all weekend priming and painting the cut boards.

I ordered 200 of these last night to organize all my fabric with. It saved me more than $380 to do it this way than to buy the boards manufactured for organizing fabric. I found the idea from pinterest which took me to Smashed Peas and Carrots.  Check out the inspiring photo below.  Click on the blog title to find out more.

Meet a Superstar and enter a Giveaway

The Giveaway is now Closed.  What a great group of entries!

Sandi Sullivan, AKA Mom CEO,  helps mothers start their own home businesses in the natural household products industry.  One of my readers, Danielle Ray, took a risk, clicked on the square button ad and sent Sandi an email.  Now she is head of the fastest growing team in the company!

Intrigued?  Me too!  Let’s ask Daneille a few questions:

Q.  Tell us about your family.

I have been married for 13 years.   My husband is a high school student pastor so our lives revolve around teenagers!   We have 4 kids: Bronson 11, Cohen 9, Lanna 7 and Gavin 5.  We raise chickens for eggs, take care of a garden and we always have a project going!  Right now we are adding on a covered porch to the back of the house.  We also home school so we can have the flexibility to take trips and vacations when we want.    I think my goals for my children are like most people, I want them to be independent adults who make wise choices and learn from their failures.  I want them to be confident enough to do something different if what they are doing is not working.   I want them to be able to set goals and pursue them.  I want them to be able to get their groove on on the dance floor. I want them to do hard things.  I want to be a good example to them.

Q.  What was your career before starting your home business?

A. Up until last month, I worked as a nurse on weekends in Labor and Delivery helping new people come into the world. While my job was very rewarding it also required me to be away from my family for 12 hour shifts. Our hospital is requiring more and more classes, certifications, and in-service hours in order to keep working. I realized no matter how much I worked my income potential was not going to change without sacrificing more time. The month I decided to resign, my check from M* was $11,580. I figured that I would have had to work at the hospital everyday, 12 hour shifts for an entire month to make that much money. The difference is that I had only worked about 30 hours total for the whole month in my M* business!

Q. How did you first find out about MomCEO?

A. I have been following The Grocery Shrink blog since the summer of 2010.  I was looking for ways to stretch our dollars with 4 kids!  I love the advice, stories, and encouragement Angela offered.  One story was about a lady, Sandi Sullivan.  She talked about how she was able to be at home with her family but still have an income working her business in her spare time.  I sent her a message through the MomCEO button and she called me the next day.

Q.  What made you take the leap and join Sandi’s team?

A. After talking with Sandi I decided her company really met a need we had in our own family.  Not only did she offer an alternative to conventional products, but they were focused on wellness and better health.  That really sparked my interest because I have been a nurse for 15 years. I know it is better to prevent health problems than to treat them after they have already started!  From the products to the business concept, it really made sense.\

Q.  How has starting your own business changed your life

A. I would say my life has been “enhanced”.  We have always managed our money well.  We have a budget.  We enjoy “re-purposing” things, growing a garden and raising chickens.  The difference is that now, we have the time to do more.  The things that we dreamed of doing one day, we are getting to do now.  We have been able to save enough money for our whole family to visit my sister in South Africa.  The best part is, I don’t have to get permission for extended time off!  I have been able to set a schedule, and work as much or as little as I wanted.  Time is a freedom that you do not have working a normal 9-5 job (well, for a nurse a 7-7 job).   I am able to stay home with my kids, but still have a full-time income

Q.  Your personal team is now the fastest growing division in the nation.  What things did you do that were so successful

A.  Our success comes from working together!  It really is about being a team and helping others reach their goals.  Some people are just looking to supplement their income, some want to replace their income.  Sandi has coached my team and helped us every step of the way.  It helps that she was there to guide us to avoid the trial and error that comes with starting something new.  She helped us do well from the start.  Some people can set high goals and get there, but for me, it was all about baby steps.  The best part of setting little goals is reaching them, celebrating, and setting the next goal.  This is what made it fun for the whole family.  We made goal charts that my kids filled in so they felt like they were a part of the business too.  I don’t know how it happened that we became the fastest growing, I just know it has been fun.  So, I guess fast is fun

Q.  How does your family feel about your home business?

A.It really has been a blessing for our family in more ways than just making money, we are also saving money. By learning about a new way to shop, and planning what we need for the month, it has kept me from running to the store every week to pick up a few things and leave having spent $75 each time. After 5 months of shopping with M* my husband called me in a panic because he thought I forgot to make the house payment. He said we had more money than usual in our checking account. I assured him I had made the house payment and it was because I was not going to the store every week now. The savings are continuing to accumulate. We still shop primarily the perimeter of the store, cook and eat at home, and wait for things to go on sale. For all those little things that seemed to rob our budget before, we are getting better quality products that we use delivered right to our door.My kids appreciate our home based business too. We went to the beach last week. We stayed in a very nice beach house, went to meet “Winter” from the movie Dolphin Tales, took an ocean safari boat ride and played on the beach. Bronson, my oldest said, “We never took vacations like this before. It must be because of M*.” We are getting to do more. We have more time, more money, and more dreams to fulfill. It has become our motto to save more, give more, and do more. I remember the way I thought it was going to be when I became an adult and had a family of my own… now I feel like I am doing life the way I had always imagined.

Q. What advice would you give to someone considering their own homebased business?

A. The best advice I can give to anyone trying to start a home-based business is to team up! It is hard to stay motivated and do well without other people doing it with you. It also helps when you are doing something that whole family can appreciate… getting your children involved helps them understand that the time you are not at home with them is being spent reaching your goal. We always celebrate check day and do something special… the great thing about kids is that getting go to Waffle House is a treat!

Q. You have generously offered a giveaway of some of your favorite products. Tell us about them.

A.  I love our laundry soap.  It sounds funny to say you love a cleaning product but I really do!  I also love the Sol-U-Mel.  It has so many uses but my favorite is as an air freshener.  The best part about all our products is that there is nothing harmful in them.  When I am done cleaning my house does not smell like chemicals, just clean

Thank you for your blog and the time you take to encourage others.  I hope this in some way encourages your readers too.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share.

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If what Danielle is doing sounds like a good fit for you, click here to contact her and find out more.
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Now for the giveaway:  You can win a sparkling home cleaning pack including:Laundry 4-Pack with 96-load MelaPower 6x and MelaBrite 6x Plus DiamondBrite Dishwasher Detergent and Sol-U-Mel all purpose cleaner

$75.00 Value!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below and be sure to include your email address.  The winner will be chosen this Friday, May 4th a noon–right after I send out the new menus :).

Office Inspiration

I’m so thankful to have the space above the garage for my office.  It’s a large room with a triangle ceiling and very little wall space.  This is a recipe for creativity when it comes to finding places to put things.

Here’s another triangle shaped room.  I love the way they built shelves around the windows with a seat across the front.  If I were to do this, I would open the bench along the front for baskets filled with supplies. (I’m not sure on the original source for this image, I got it from pinterest which got it from photobucket.)

This next room from Sew Many Ways is chock full of ideas.  Take her black bookcases filled with supplies for example. They are just plain cheap bookcases with crown molding added and repainted.  I encourage you to click the picture to read the whole post.  I espeically love her motto:  “The Happiest people don’t have the best of everything…they just make the best of everything they have.”  She’s a kindrid spirit (as Anne would say.)

Next is another inspiring sewing room with tips for displaying a fabric stash.

She even has a lower cost solution that I’m adding to my to do list.

Porch Update

View from the street. Notice the one blue chair is visible while the other seems to melt away.

It was too hot to paint over the weekend, so my chairs and door still aren’t done.  I tried and the paint bubbled up like it was boiling, lol.  It looks like next Friday will be cool enough to paint again.

Before

After

I got up early enough to paint my new house numbers before it got over 100 degrees and they look so nice.  The trash is off the porch.  The new hanging baskets are in place  I had already bought them on sale before reading about the window boxes in your fantastic comments on the last post.  I think I would love the window box look next year, but for now this was an afforadable alternative.

We planted the hostas, which aren’t too happy about the heat.  Next year they will be showstoppers. 

 While running my errends I grabbed a new door mat monogrammed with a C.  Our old doormat was 10 years old.  I tried to throw it out, but DH moved it to a less visible door where he thought it could still trap some dirt.  Sometimes he thinks thriftier than I do, lol.

I also scrubbed the front of the house with a hose and soapy sponge.  The white areas really need a fresh coat of paint, but for now it’s a big improvement.  You are right, the porch needs painted.  We bought the stain last fall and still haven’t used it.  I’ve never done anything like that before, and I’m afraid I’ll make a mess of it.

So much better without the trash!  I had planned to recover the setee in the corner to use in my kitchen.  But now I think it may not be sturdy enough to go through the effort.  Some day soon you may drive by and find it at the curb.  It would be a relief from my mind to have the project off my plate.

The two rockers look lonely to me.  I’m having second thoughts about the table I found.  It’s more money than I was hoping to spend and doesn’t have much surface on the top.  I did some price shopping Saturday for cushions and tables and came up empty handed.  I may have waited too long to shop summer clearance…there wasn’t much left.  Now I’m deciding if I want to wait until next year, or look for some outdoor fabric to sew.   Since I still haven’t found a lot of extra time in my day apart from basic chores and holding Grant….I’m leaning towards next year, lol.

How to Organize Your Kitchen Drawer in 10 Minutes or Less

I’d like to introduce you to Sinea.  She blogs over at Ducks in a Row and loves to be organized.  Here’s her step by step method for organizing a kitchen drawer: 

Many thanks to Angela for the privilege of guest posting on The Grocery Shrink.  I was thrilled when I found out that April was “Organizing Month”. Though my house might not always show it, organizing is my thing and I love to make it simple and easy enough for anyone to do! 

So, let’s take on a project that takes no time at all:  a kitchen drawer.  My kitchen has several drawers.  One for cooking utensils, one for silverware and then there’s the “other one”. 

The “other one” has been unfortunately named “The Junk Drawer”, for obvious reasons. I think it believes it, too.  It gets junkie really fast.  It should contain pens, pencils, scotch tape, safety pins, glue stick, new birthday candles, bottle opener, can opener, screw driver and maybe a notepad.  What it often contains is beyond imagination.  When I found out that I would be guest blogging, this topic was the obvious choice.  The Junk Drawer needs to be brought back under control!

Organizing a drawer shouldn’t be a big deal.  After all, it is just one drawer!  Then, why do we let them get so out of hand?

First of all, it’s not our fault.  Kitchen drawers are handled many times a day by a number of users.  Each person has a different interest in its contents and doesn’t care at all what condition it’s left in, just as long as they find what they need.  With that many “helpers”, it doesn’t take long for a neat, organized drawer to become a tangled mess.

Second, clutter sneaks up on you.  You don’t notice it until it gets really bad.

The Great Organizing Secret: when life is spinning out of control, clean a drawer. That’s right. Organizing even one drawer gives you a momentary success, sense of accomplishment and peace. It is proof that there is at least one thing that you can control. Organizing a drawer can be downright therapeutic! 

Now, get ready for my little “disaster area”:

 

What a mess! 

*When I emptied the drawer I was horrified to find that as much stuff had slipped underneath the dividers than what could be seen on top.

Wait till you see the pile!

  

How to turn it around:

Multi-task. Select a moment that you will be waiting in the kitchen, anyway.  While the coffee is brewing is a likely choice.  Or, how about when you’re waiting for something in the oven to get done? Those are good times to tackle this little project.  It should take 10 minutes, or less. 

  1. Clear a space on the kitchen counter or table. 
  2. Lay a dishtowel out and tip the drawer over onto it.  (If you use kitchen drawer dividers, pull them out and tip their contents onto the towel, then scoop out the rest of the drawer’s contents to add to the pile.)
  3. Tilt the empty drawer over the sink or waste basket to get out the crumbs and residue.
  4. Take a damp sponge, soaked with Orange Cleaner and clean the drawer out.  Dry it.
  5. 5.       Do the same for your separators.  Soap them up, rinse them and dry them. (If they are made of wood, use Pledge or wood cleaner instead of soapy water.)
  6. Put the drawer back in place.
  7. Add the clean dividers.

 

Now, turn your attention to the kitchen counter.

You will be sorting three groups:   1. throw away   2. put away   3. back in drawer

 

 

 

 

 

See what I mean? 

 

Who would have thought so much would be hiding in that little drawer?

 

1. Throw away

Bring your waste basket right up next to you. Start picking out the scrap papers, old plastic bag ties, expired coupons and other trash. Quickly rifle through it, sorting out the trash and toss it in the garbage.

2. Put away

Some things undoubtedly have shown up in that drawer that don’t belong there. Use a bowl or small basket for the “put away” group.  If they go in a different drawer in the kitchen, quickly lay them aside on the counter to take care of in a minute.  The items that don’t belong in the kitchen go in the basket to be carted to where they do belong when this job is over.

3. Back in drawer

Finally, put the items back that do belong in the drawer.  Make it neat. Stand back and look.  Ahhh.  Feels good. Ten minutes and the job is done! 

It really did take 10 minutes.

Except for stopping as my family kept asking me what I was doing…and with a camera, no less! 

Many blessings to the Coffman family as they welcome the arrival of their new baby.

Open invitation to Angela and her many readers: please stop by my blog, Ducks ‘n a Row, anytime!

I’d love to hear from you.   www.ducksnarow.com

‘Till we meet again…

Sinea

Declutting Begins in Your Brain Part 3

Here’s the final installment from Jill Farris on Decluttering.  I don’t know about you, but my house is already looking a ton better!  I can’t wait to see what’s next:

Continue to go room by room getting rid of thirty-one items a day. Don’t be dismayed if it seems like there is still a lot to do even though you are discarding huge amounts of stuff. Some of us have layers of items to remove!

Once you have the obvious areas of the room de-cluttered, then you can begin with the hidden sources of frustration. For example, I got the floor, book baskets and bookshelves in our bedroom culled of clutter but the desk caused me the greatest amount of frustration because I couldn’t find needed bills in a timely fashion. Cleaning out the rest of the room freed me up to focus on the all-so-important desk!

There are several things I have noticed as I’ve moved around the room and my brain needs to think about them to prevent future clutter.

1)      I had at least three copies of the same bill because I knew I couldn’t pay them on time and avoided looking at them (note to self, open the envelopes and file immediately and toss the late notices in the trash).

2)      I have too many books. I have boxes of books in the garage but I don’t remember what I have (note to self, if I want to reread a good book I will be able to find it again. I don’t have to OWN all my favorites).

3)      The ironing board and iron take up too much space and should not be left out constantly in our room (note to self, either use the little hand- held steamer that my thoughtful oldest son gave me for Christmas or iron clothes on one or two days and put them away).

4)      Because I like reading at night I end up with a pile of books and papers near the bed (note to self, get a night stand and a basket to put near the bed to contain clutter).

5)      Put a trash can in this room. Why have I never kept a trash can near the desk-I generate lots of trash there? (Note to self…I hate plastic trash cans like the one we have in the bathroom-maybe I can find a prettier basket to use and get over this trash can avoidance phobia!).

It’s time to get back to the regular schedule of the day. As I walk out of my less cluttered bedroom I stop for one more glance around the room. I know the rest of our house will assail me with clutter and projects but I tell myself that I will get to it all eventually 31 items at a time because de-cluttering starts in our brain and my brain has decided it likes a neater, more peaceful house!

Guest Post: Heather Boyd from the Cozy Cape

Hi Friends over at The Grocery Shrink!
First, I want to offer my Congratulations to the Coffman family on their new addition! That’s so exciting… which brings me to why I’m over here at Angela’s blog today. This month Angela has asked several bloggers to tackle the topic of organization while she’s on maternity leave. I first discovered Angela’s ol’ blog when she wrote this guest post for Layla and Kevin Palmer.  You see, when I’m not blogging over at The Cozy Cape, I produce the television program The 700 Club. I had Kevin and Layla on the show more than a year ago (see their segment here). Then when I read Angela’s frugal food tips, I knew she’d make a perfect guest for the show. So, we flew her out and she did a great job (See her two segments here & here).  

During Angela’s time in Virginia Beach, I learned that she needed guest posts during her maternity leave, so here I am.
Angela asked that I write about organization. Let’s get one thing straight—I do not claim to be an organizer extraordinaire. In fact, I’m quite the opposite by nature. (Angela’s Note:  That’s exactly why we want to hear from you–grin.  If you can do it; we can too.) However, living in an older home (1950’s Cape Cod) has forced me to get creative. Things are still crazy and disorganized at the Boyd casa at times, but I do my best to find ways to know where things are and to minimize stress. So today, I thought I’d share simple tips that I’ve learned along the way that will help in the organization department.
Tip #1: Our Pantry.
Our pantry looked like this at one time…

I knew I had to get it under control. I had great shelving space but it was a jumbled mess. So I headed to The Dollar Store where I picked out these fabulous and colorful baskets.


15 baskets equaled 15 bucks. Score! These baskets caught my eye because the plastic makes for easy clean-up. Plus, their holes make it simple to spot what’s hiding in those baskets. I whipped up some cute labels using chalkboard sticker tags from Leen the Graphics Queen and some spare scrapbook paper that I had on hand.

Now everything has a spot.

And if I ever need to change the contents of the baskets, the chalkboard tags allow me to change the labels with one wipe of a paper towel (shh, don’t tell Angela that I haven’t given up my paper towel obsession. I’m still working on that!)
Tip #2: Speaking of Chalkboard tags
I had two tags leftover from my pantry makeover… so I slapped those babies onto two glass containers and filled them up with sugar and flour.

A simple and clean look in a matter of seconds! And we’ll say it’s a bonus that my flour and sugar now stay fresh and it freed up some room in the cabinet above. Oh, and if anyone is wondering, those glass jars were purchased at Walmart on the cheap.
Tip #3: Decorating Doubles
About a year I began redecorating our home on a budget… and I haven’t stopped since (see our living room makeover here.) As I planned out the new look for our home, I always looked for furniture that had more than one use. Here are some examples:
Storage ottomans purchased from Target:


They live by our front door. When they are pushed together, they act as a bench where we can put on our shoes. Then, when we are entertaining we can pull them out for extra seating. And when we want to sit back and relax, we pull them in front of our sofa so we can curl up and watch a movie.

What’s that, did you say it was cold in here? Well, no problem. The tops open right up so we can house (and hide) blankets for those cold winter nights.


Tip #4: Dishwasher Despair?
This tip revolutionized my life. Okay, well maybe that’s an overstatement… but it certainly cut down my kitchen cleaning time. As you load your silverware, put all the silverware’s mates in the same compartment. Knives go together; forks go together; spoons go together. You get the idea.

Then, when it’s time to empty the dishwasher, you can put away all of the forks in one fell swoop. Rinse and repeat with the rest of the silverware.
Tip #5: Closet Claustrophobia
Yep, that’s right. I have closet claustrophobia! We have small closets and I’ve wracked my brain in an attempt to find a solution. I thought I’d leave you with a project that I’d like to do to in an attempt to remedy my small closet issues. I came across this post from Ana White of “Knock off Wood.” Ana expanded her daughter’s storage space with a few 2×4’s.
Here’s the finished project. (The next 3 photos are from ana-white.com)

If you’d like the 4-1-1 on the full project, head on over to Ana’s blog. You can get the full how-to right here.

I look forward to seeing some of you at The Cozy Cape. Angela, thanks for having me. I enjoyed my stay!

Heather