Body Scrub - Vanilla Sugar Scrub

1 cup fine brown sugar or any fine grain sugar
1/3 cup grapeseed or mineral oil
20 drops vanilla essential oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Put into a lidded wide mouth jar and use in shower to scrub.

Upholstery Shampoo

6 tablespoons soap flakes
2 tablespoons borax
1 pint boiling water

1. In large mixing bowl, mix soap flakes and borax together; slowly add the boiling water, stirring well to thoroughly dissolve the dry ingredients
2. Let cool, then whip into a foamy consistency with an eggbeater
3. Brush dry suds onto the furniture, concentrating on soiled areas. Quickly wipe off with a damp sponge.

*To make soap flake, grate Ivory Bar Soap
**Try on a small spot to check for color fade before using on large area.

Body Scrub - Coffee Scrub

1/4 cup ground coffee bean or 1/4 cup used coffee grounds
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 tsp honey

Mix all ingredients together and put in a container. Store in the shower, usually last up to 2 week if sour smell or mold forms throw away.

Additions
cocoa powder or cinnamon

Foot Scrub: Peppermint & Lavender

1 cup salt - course sea salt
1/3 cup grapeseed oil or mineral oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

Combine ingredients will in a glass or ceramic bowl

Put in a lidded container and use as needed. Apply to clean feet, rub salt around dry areas.

Cucumber Toner

A refreshing toner that leaves your face cool

1/2 cucumber
1 tablespoon lavender hydro-sol
1 oz. with hazel
2 drops rosemary essential oil

1.Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until the cucumber is liquefied.
2. Strain through a coffee filer or cheesecloth

Put in a dark glass bottle with a lid and store in refrigerator

To Use:
Apply to the face and neck after cleansing

Planning a Menu

It is always a good idea to plan at least a week's menu. Planners know that shopping each day for a meal can be expensive. Rather than knowing what you want when you walk into the store you will look around and start buying things that look good. You are usually tired from work and this is the last thing that you want to do. So you will buy the first thing you see or parts of several things. It is just like shopping when you are hungry. What looks good then might not be all that appealing when you get home. And you will buy impulse items which will cause the grocery bill to go higher. If you must shop on your way home think about what you would like before you even walk into the store. if you don't kow if you have all thing other ingredients at home, make sure you get them. 

Having a plan when you go to the store makes it easier and faster when you are in the store. Make list before shopping if you do this weekly or even month. 

I try to only do a weekly menu as doing a month I will rebel from it just because I can. 

There is a website that offers a place for you to put in your recipes and you can make a list of your recipes or others for you menu. You can then print out a grocery list. The items you have you can just mark off.  http://www.plantoeat.com 

Another thing you can do is have certain types of food once a month; such as mexican night. We do this every month and usually have Dad come up. It will be anything from Tacos to enchiladas. 

If you are planning on freezing your meat or other items make sure to plan ahead. There is nothing like forgetting to take something out and not having anything to fix.

Just have fun making out your menu. Take a look at the weather for the week. If you are going to have a nice weekend think about grilling or something simple so you can enjoy the day. Make a two-for (two meals out of one) meal is always great. I have a few of those in my recipe section. Such as chicken from one night goes on a salad the next day. http://deanas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/two-meals-in-one-chicken-breast-halves.html

Also use your weekends that are rainy to make thing that can be used in more than one meal. Just make extra. Such as lasagna meat, make extra and freeze. The next time you want to make lasagna in the slow cooker you just have to thaw or microwave thaw http://deanas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2013/06/lasagna.html

Before you shop if you are a coupon clipper check out dealseekingmom.com it will give you all the places to find just about every coupon. There are service you can subscribe to if you don't get the sunday paper coupons as not all of the coupons on that site are printable.

Organization Series

I have planned on doing a organization series over the summer. Since Bethany and Sean will be in traditional school next year and I will be going back to work after that I need to get the house organized to make the adjustment back to the working life.

I have read alot of organizational books and some things make sense, others just keep repeating the same thing just using different words in their 101 ways to organize. I thought the best way for me to write about it was to actually do what I was writing about. Since I am going to tell you all to make a list and put in a time table I am going to do the same. 

I haven't decided if I am going to put it on this exactly blog or make another address and link to this. But I will post it all as I am working. Those breaks that I will be taking will be writing breaks. Hope you all enjoy. 

Also since I am not going to let the kids have a totally school free summer I will be adding summer education things to this blog. Right now they are identifying all the states and where they are and their capitals. It has always amazed me that kids are not truly learning all this in school. The world might be smaller because of technology, but we are not helping by making the information they are putting out there on social networks incorrect. 

One of the main things all the books I have read said was to create a central command center. That is where everyone put information (weekly menus, to do list, and just simple reminders). I ordered one from Staples and it was really decent prices as it was on clearance.It should be here next week.

Other great idea is this expandable file folder the slides down. You can hang it on a wall or over a door. It will allow you to keep track of things that you haven't filed. Or it can become your monthly file. If it is work that needs to be worked on while you are waiting to pick up the kids you can just slide it back together and take with you (I will talk about a mobile office in the organization blog). There are several styles and again cheap as they are on clearance.

As soon as they all get here I will put them up and take a picture to post here. Then it is time to get busy on the cleaning and organizing.

Below are the links to the products that I have ordered. 

Note-it Style™ Home Organization Center

Staples® Cascading Horizontal Poly File, Check Size, Multicolor

Staples® Cascading Vertical Poly File, Letter Size, Multicolor

Staples® Cascading Horizontal Poly File, Letter Size, Black

Did you forget...... Laundry

Have you ever taken clothes out of the dryer, put them in a basket and it sit in a chair for a couple of days? Oh I have a ton of times. Rather than washing them again or even throwing them in the dryer that will not get the sit in wrinkles out here is an alternative. If you other clothes to wash, do that load and add the ones that are really wrinkled to the dryer. If you need that pair of pants and either don't want to iron or don't own an iron them get a towel (lint free) and get it damp, throw it in the dryer with the clothes. Just remember to take them out this time and hang them up.

And if you want them to smell fresh, see the post about the stinky laundry

Cure for Stinky Laundry

Have you ever forgotten a load of laundry in the washer for a day and then smell it? Oh I am guilty of this all the time and it is usually in the summer and you have to get those clothes out the minute they stop and in the dry or they will start to smell. This is a way to help if do forget.

1 cup dry lemon verbena
1 cup dry mint
2 cups cedar shavings

Mix all the ingredients together in a lidded container. Let set for about a week. Place a handful of the mixture in a small muslin bag.

Quick fix - Broken Strap

Have you ever had a purse or bag strap break? I had this happen to a bag that Michael and the kids got me last year for my birthday. It was a purse that could carry a small laptop or iPad. I loved this purse and all of a sudden the stitching came loose and it started the rip this piece of saving grace fabric. 

Needless to say I was a bit upset considering that it wasn't even a year old. I was just about ready to throw it away when I thought about it. This was a semi-expensive purse and that is crazy to just get rid of it. I could find a strap on another purse or bag that could detach with those clasp and just change out the strap when I was carrying that purse. 

That was a fix, but I didn't have a black purse that had the clasp on the strap. So walking in Walmart the other day I noticed all these pretty scarves that were marked down because it was not winter. These were light, long scarves that were more to put around your neck. Only about a foot and a half wide. I tied it to the metal loop my other strap was on and made a knot and presto a new strap for my purse.

Just adjust the strap to the length you want and it can still double as a scarf

Honey Meal Mask

I love different mask they are just a way to give myself a few minutes.

1 cup of water
1/2 cup dried chamomile*
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oatmeal (instant)**

Heat the water and chamomile in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in honey and oatmeal. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Apply mask to your face in upward circular motion. Leave mask on for about 30 minutes  Peel off dried mask and rinse with warm water.

*You can use Lavender if you would like. Just use 2 tablespoons dried lavender.

**You can use the cook version just follow the directions

Simple Massage Oil

Simple Massage Oil

Who couldn't use a bit of this from time to time.

1 ounces almond oil

10 to 20 drops essential oil of your choice

Blend all the ingredients, and place in a dark, lidded bottle. 

Pour a little of the oil into the palms of your hands and rub into the skin. Be sure to keep it away from your eyes. 

Oils for all moods

Anger (to soothe)     Chamomile, ylang ylang

Anger (unexpressed)     Rosemary

Anxiety     Bergamot, citrus oils

Apathy     Patchouli

Depression     Clary sage, bergamot, jasmine

Insomnia     Marjoram, neroli

Lethary     Spruce, pine

Grief     Amber, ylang ylang, rose, marjoram

Loss/death     Cypress, ud, spikenard

Mental Stress     Basil, citrus oils, neroli

Calming     Sandalwood, lemongrass, lavender

Spring Digital Cleaning

When you start cleaning your house don't forget your electronic devices. Files on your computer is like that left over meatloaf in the back of the fridge, they need to be throw out. 

First you can start with pictures. Because computers are so good at crashing and with all the viruses you should remove all the photos you don't want to lose. Put them on a flash drive, CD, DVD or an SD card. Keep them labeled well so that you can get what you need when looking rather than going through all those pictures. It is a bit time consuming but it is better than losing all the pictures. 

There are other files that should be deleted. Depending on your virus protection you can do computer maintenance each month, week or even every day. 

Things to get rid of:

Temp Internet Files

Window Temporary Files

Internet history

Clear the cache on your internet browser

Start Up Manager

You should make sure that you have a good virus protector and if it does not come with a Tune Up program think about getting one to help with other files

Other things to get off your computer, all that music and videos. Invest in an external hard drive to store music just know that a virus can attack it and it can crash also. 

The music and videos will slow your computer down.

Remove programs you don't use. They just take up space you computer resources. There are several programs out there that can help or look it up on the internet for your Operating System (Windows XP, 7, etc.)

Just another cleaning project that you should think about. 

To do List

If you are like me you have a million and one things on a to do list. I have found that my to do list never gets completed before what is at the top gets added back to the bottom. If I make list that are based on time it makes it easier to get done.

Category of Time List:

1. Things to do today

• These are things that have to get done today. 
• Get dinner
• Wash dishes - assuming that you don't have enough to wait. 
• Mail payment

2. Things to do this week

• These are things that you don't have to do today just needs to get done this week
• Make out checks or online payment for bills due next week. You can even go as far as to set up a notice that will remind you when should be done online that will let you do it at say 8:45 pm that way it is not on your list but will get a reminder to complete. If it is something that will only take a few minutes (or even seconds) just make a reminder on the phone, computer, other device. 
• Give yourself time at least once a week, to read, relax, do nothing. schedule it into you week every week. If you make out a list of things you have for the week and put them in a certain day it makes a schedule of things to do even for each day. 

3. Things to do that has not time limit:

• These are things that you need to do sometime but don't have to be done today, tomorrow or even in the next week. But soon and things you don't want to forget. 
• This is basically a list of things you need to do but don't want to forget. Such as wash the car, wash the dog or clean out the fridge. 
• If you have things that need to be done on a certain date a month from now you can add to the list with a date so that you can add to the weekly then the daily list.

Yes what I am suggesting will take some time and practice but we make these list without even knowing it. We have sticky notes stuck to the computer, white boards, cork boards and things stuck to magnets. We have all these devices to make calls, check the internet and talk with each other, but we don't use them to their full potential. 

Record a message about things you need to do and remember to check the recorder

Make a few notes in an app for things to do. Yes, another to do list. 

After a while you will get the hang of these list. You will see that they get smaller each day. 

Remember to ask for help.

• You can ask your kids, husband, or even friends to help. They are in your corner and I am sure that you would help if they asked.

We all have a list it is a matter of how we get to it. If on your daily to do list there was twenty (20) things and you have just worked all day long that list is like another job that you don't get paid for and in most cases it is thankless. That is why these key list will help cut that list down and make it a checked off list.

You hear it is not what you have left of the list that you should think about it is what you got checked off that list. If you are not getting things done, ever, then you still have this list and it is not getting smaller. 

I have found a site on the web that will allow you to print different types of To Do List, you can find one there or create one yourself. 

To Do List

I hope this helps all you out there. I know it has started working for me. 

Rosemary and Lavender Scrub

If you like those expensive foot and hand scrubs but don't like the price make them at home.

2 cups salt (you can use just about any type of fine grain salt)
1/4 cup olive oil (you do not have to use extra virgin or substitute in grapeseed oil)
3 tbsp lavender
3 tbsp rosemary

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil a little at a time and mix well

You can use a food processor or grinder to chop the herbs up smaller. Add a bit of coloring for visual presentation. Put in a lidded jar and store in cool dry area

Cocktail Flea Dip

2 tbsp vodka or dry vermouth
1 3/4 pints water

1. In a 2 qt saucepan stir alcohol into water and bring to a boil
2. Remove from heat, cover pan and allow solution to steep 2 hours
3. Rub cooled solution into fur, rinse and comb

For larger dogs, double or triple recipe

Flea Begone Bandanna

1 cotton bandanna
1 small vital rose geranium essential oil
1 small vital lavender essential oil

1. Sprinkle several drops of each oil on the bandanna
2. Roll the bandanna and tie it loosely around your dog's neck
3. Launder the bandanna, retreat with oil when the scent fades

If your dog won't wear a bandanna, dab oil between it's shoulder blade where it can't be licked off.

If nothing else it will make your dog smell better. You can try to mix 2 drops oil mixture with 1 drop almond oil.

HealthCare Log

I have a Family Fact binder that I bought a few years ago and in there was Logs but they are dates with like 2006-2007 I didn't use it as much then as I do know. I kept the records in the folder but not all the information. So I decided to start making my own and posting them here for you all to have. This will help you keep all your bills, financial, and personal information all in one place.

Download it from here. Use the Download for Excel or you can just print from the Doc.

HealthCare Log

Organizer - Weekly Organizer with Menu

I am always trying to stay organized and will find one thing I like but wish it had another them to cut down on the paper. I found these and they seem to work. I use the Arc system from Staples so this makes it a bit easier to keep up with everything.

Use these printable to help you organize.

Printable Organizer

Editable Organizer

Spring Cleaning

Although the calendar has said that spring was here weeks ago the temps don't always show it. With all the rain bringing cooler temperatures I figured this was actually the best time to do the Spring Cleaning. When the weather does get warmer and stay that way and the rain is less frequent you would want to be outside doing work rather than cleaning and that would just cause me to continue to put it off. So this really is the best time to do with spring cleaning.

Start with one room at time. Thinking about all of them will just make you fall back on the sofa and need a nap. Start with the room that you spend the most time in. It will be where you can retire to each time you clean another room. And unless you are always cleaning this project could take a couple of days or a week. And if you just work on the weekends it would take weeks so pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Now start with one room make a cleaning list. If you make a list it might help keep the clutter down and less cleaning next years

Below is just a small list of the cleaning checklist you can create for yourself or others to do to pitch in.

Living Room

Monthly:

Move furniture (if possible) clean under and behind - vacuum etc

Declutter; remove old magazines 

Deep clean carpet and rugs

Dust ceiling fans

Pillow covers (if applicable) need to be washed

Weekly: 

Dust higher items - items that you don't always see the top of. Just as a book case or top of mirrors or pictures.

Some say you should only vacuum once a week other say more than that. It would depend on your climate and dirt level. We have dry conditions so once a week is just not enough most of the time. 

Fluff pillows or cushions on furniture.

Daily: 

Light dusting

Vacuum (in my case)

Anything left in living room. 

If you break your rooms into things that you would Monthly - Weekly - Daily it would help next year. 

Declutter is the hardest part to do 

We keep things for so many reason. 

You should ask yourself questions:

Will I use (wear) this?

Do I keep "just in case"?

Do you love the item or the memory 

Do you have multiples of the same item?

Could something else I have do the same job (mops, vacs, cleaning tools of all kinds)

Could I use this space for something else?

These are things that really make a difference in all the clutter. I am a victim of keeping things "just because." 

Homemade Cleaning Supplies - Bleach Anywhere*

This was a great product that was introduced. It has the cleaning of bleach but is diluted enough not to leave a strong bleach smell and it is not as dangerous if kids touch before it is dry. Since the actual product cost around $3.50 a bottle and is more than 95% water why not make your own.

1 1/2 teaspoon of bleach
22 oz. water

Fill spray bottle with water and then add bleach. Put the nozzle on the bottle and shake gently to mix.


*Due to copyright laws I have not used the product name.

Some say that the solution only has the cleaning power if used in 24 hours other say longer. I suggest making only what you are going to use that day. Also another note. Make sure that the spray bottle you use does not have a metal spring. If you have purchased bleach cleaners in the past reuse that bottle for this solution.

Homemade Bubbles for Kids (and overgrown kids)

Just like anyone else I love to play with the kids bubbles, but I started noticing that most of it ended up on the ground and although it is not that expensive, when you end up with more on the ground than in bubbles it doesn't make sense to buy them all the time. And you know that one of the kids is going to kick someones bubbles over. 
You can make these and let them play outside inside of on the games or watching TV. This also makes a great party favor you can put in little bottles for each kid and add the recipe for them to take home. 

1 cup of water

4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid

2 tablespoons light karo syrup or glycerin

Combine together and shake in container. 

Make a cute label to either apply to the bottle or on a card.

Foot Scrub: Ginger & Orange

Have you seen the price of foot scrubs? This is a great way to cut cost. Buy the brown sugar when it is on sale during the holidays.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup grape seed or mineral oil

12 drops orange essential oil

3 drops ginger essential oil

1 tsp. ground ginger

Combine all ingredients and mix will. 

Try going to like a Dollar Tree and purchase containers. It will allow you to make different smells and if you get the lid containers you can just add all the ingredients and shake. 

Facial - Cucumber and Honey Toner

Most of the toner I have ever used always smelled like cucumbers. So why not make it at home.


Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces
2 teaspoons of honey

Puree cucumber in the blender. Using a cheesecloth strain the liquid from the cucumber mixture about 15 minutes. Pour juice in a clean bottle (with lid) and add the honey.

To Use: shake the bottle to mix. Apply with a cotton ball on the face and neck. Allow to dry (3 - 4 minutes)

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week

Facial - Yogurt-Honey Mask

Ever had skin product get in your mouth? You almost have to brush your teeth again and rinse your mouth out for 5 minutes. They taste nasty. This is a great one.... and taste pretty good too. 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Plain Yogurt
1 tablespoon Honey

• Stir the yogurt and honey until mixed
• To apply:
• Apply to a clean moist face
• Pat onto the skin - it will moisturize, penetrate and hydrate the area. It will also sooth and will clear up skin problems

Homemade Body Products

With all the products on the market it can get intimidating stand in front of those displays. Hundred's of boxes of different items. And then there is the price, any where from $5 to $500 and do they even work. And if you get them in your mouth the taste is very nasty. So I thought I would start looking online and in books for different things to use. With Bethany's birthday just around the corner, she had decided on a spa party so we figured natural was better. I hope that you all enjoy this extension of my blog and the kitchen one.