Day 11 – DIY Weed Killer – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 12, 2015 by gracieed

I’ve taken a departure from all the beauty concoctions to concentrate on the garden.

Weed KillerIn California we’ve been dealing with a drought, but that doesn’t seem to make a difference to the weeds in my backyard.  They still keep growing.  My mom told me about the weed killer she uses, a solution made with Dawn liquid dish soap, salt and vinegar.  Obviously it takes longer to kill the weeds than if I used Roundup, but I don’t like using poisonous chemicals because of the dogs.  I’m willing to take the time.

I mixed up a batch and doused a couple of large weeds a couple of days ago in anticipation of this blog post.  They’re not dead yet, but they’re definitely on their way out.  I’m extremely hopeful that this will help keep them at bay.

Do you have any weed abatement solutions that aren’t toxic?

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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I love how you do stuff to protect us.

 

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Paws || Walk On – 4.5 – 4.18

Posted on April 12, 2015 by gracieed

Every now and then when I’m walking dogs, I will just stop, ask them to sit for about 30 seconds and then I will say “walk on”. That is there cue to start walking again. I do this for a couple of reasons: 1. They’re super focused when they’re on the walk and I like to know I can get their attention any time I need it. 2. It’s good to continue to incorporate training into their daily routines. Just as we need to continue to refine our skills, so must dogs.

This always reminds me how important it is for me to pause and reflect on the past week and then think about the next one as I “walk on”.

Paws | Week of 4.5-4.11

• spoke to my grandpa this week.
• took care of a friend’s dog.
• enjoyed Easter Sunday with our family.
• continued reading Platform by Michael Hyatt.
• finished reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  Highly recommend.
• started April photo-a-day challenge.
ankle-tendons-medial01fde043aa395bbf3f140957a38230682887757211• had to halt working on the garage declutter because I found out why my foot is swollen and sore.  I have peroneal tibial tendonitis.  I know more about feet now that I ever did.  I have to wear a boot for 3 weeks and then we’ll access.  The dogs are not happy!
• knit and drank coffee with friends.
• started reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  Soooo gooood.
• started a 100 day project by drawing a Doodle everyday.
• spent a couple more days with my niece.
• went to a service to celebrate the life of a dear friend who had lived 97 years.
• walked the dogs.  Decided to keep track of our walks on a calendar.  So far for 2015: 91 out of 103.
• continued my April blog series, {DIY From Scratch}.  I’m amazed at how much can be made at home relatively inexpensively and it all actually works.
• continued with the Ripple Crochet Blanket for a wedding gift.
01155186f43602eca1bd1bb0336efa46e2dce65c7d_00001• still working on Margaret’s scarf.

 

Walk On | Week of 4.12-4.18

• call my Grandpa in England.
• knit and drink coffee with friends.
• continue with the Photo-a-day challenge for April.
• started a quick project for a secret gift.
• continue to work on Margaret’s scarf.
• need to make and post cards from January Card Series || Cards for 2015 in my Etsy shop.  Have.got.to.get.this.done.  Been waylaid by Spring Cleaning, but now with the bum foot I could get this done.
• celebrate Mike and my niece’s birthdays at a brunch.
• POSTPONE the mini Spring clean of my house.
• start reading Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton.
• start prepping for Mike’s Dr. Who Quilt.
• start piecing fabric for a couple of super easy baby quilts.
• continue to make the Ripple Crochet Blanket for a wedding gift.
• continue to organize my craft room.  You’re probably wondering when I’ll be done with this.  Me too.
• Skype and knit with a friend.
• continue reading Platform by Michael Hyatt
• work on Quest46.
• work on and post projects for {DIY From Scratch}

My favorite quote from the week:  “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” Amelia Earhart.

Have a wonderful week,
Grace

 

 

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We are not happy that our mom’s foot is hurt, but dad has said he will take us on walks and mom plays ball with us in the backyard.  And Woody isn’t as sad as he looks, he’s just not good with change.

Posted in 31 Days of Cards, Accountability, Books, Challenges and Contests, Cleaning, Crochet, DeCluttering, DIY From Scratch, Dogs, Goals, Homemade, Knitting, Organization, Quest46, Yarn | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day 10 – DIY Face Scrubbie – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 11, 2015 by gracieed

About 5 years ago, I started knitting and crocheting cotton dish cloths and started using them exclusively for the dishes and for general household cleaning.  They clean really well, are durable and can easily be laundered when I’m finished using them.  My niece was over last week and asked me for a sponge and I told her I don’t have any.  I realized then that I haven’t used sponges (harbingers of germs-my personal opinion) in ages (5 years to be exact). She was perplexed.

I’ve been making lotions and potions for my skin lately and have been using disposable cotton face pads.  After my ‘sponge’ conversation with my niece I was hyper aware of trying NOT to use disposable items.  I went to Ravelry to find a pattern for face scrubbies.

I found three I really liked – two are crochet and one is knit.  I made one, the Scrubbie Dots, and the others I’ll show you in a future post.  They are cool spiral scrubbies, but had a few more steps that I didn’t have time for.  I’ll have the links for all the patterns that are free incidentally.

scrubbiedotsThe Scrubbie Dot consists of 4 crocheted rounds using cotton yarn.  Really fast.  The pattern tells you when to change colors, but I just used the same color, a variegated green, for all 4 rounds.

Here’s my end result.

012625f9222ee49c2fb2034ac08c2d281cf6422925018e4210fa9469615c87f4b6e578e39e2a78d48bc10185ea544270c5bda11f38b6a65b3f7e9452eeb674

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scrubbiestribbles

Tribble

scrubbiespiral

Spiral Scrubbie

The other two patterns are for spiral scrubbies.  Tribble, is a knit pattern and Spiral Scrubbie is a crochet pattern.

Since I’m going to need more than one of the cuties, I’ll be knitting and crocheting away in the next few days.  The colors make me happy, but I love the fact that I just have to wring them out to dry and they’re ready to go the next day.

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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Just want to be clear because I’m still learning the lay of the land.  These are NOT snacks, right?

 

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Saturday Snippets | April 11, 2015

Posted on April 11, 2015 by gracieed

Welcome to Saturday Snippets.  This is where I share links and odd bits of info from the past week.

1.  Taking part in the #The100DaysProject.  My project is #100DaysofDoodles.  Check it out on Instagram.

2. You know what a pen pal is, right?  I learned about Pocket Pals this week.  If you’re a pocket scrapbooker, this is brilliant.

3.  This weeks inspiration.

4.  This kid is adorable.  You’ll need a Kleenex… I did.

5. And finally… keep the Kleenex out. This is a good one.

Well that’s all the snippets I have for today.  Have a wonderful Saturday,

Grace

 

 

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I’m not sure what a doodle is, but I do know it’s not me.  100 days of pictures of me wouldn’t have been very exciting – adorable, but not exciting.

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Day 9 – DIY Skin Brightening Toner – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 10, 2015 by gracieed

I’m still on a DIY Beauty treatment kick at the moment.

As I shared in the Vitamin C Serum blog post, my first facial cleansing regime was Clinique.  It was 3-step process that started with washing my face with soap, using toner and then moisturizing.  This was perfect for a teenage skin, but as I aged, I dropped the toner because it was too drying.

When I discovered this tutorial for a skin brightening toner, I thought I’d give it a try again.  These days I’m really interested in anything that will hold back the wrinkles.

013c9f0a3a4e256bfd353d144c303b314755dc8d060186902bceaad6e7005483de703f8d282488de9ab7The recipe only has 3 ingredients and made about 2 cups of the toner.  My container would only hold about 1 cup so I stored the rest in a mason jar in the fridge.  According to the tutorial, the solution can last for 3 weeks at room temperature.

 

014e7881e72e464c525e39e528ec3eed7bac8cf4adIt’s lovely and lemony, very refreshing and I hope it won’t be too drying after a few days.  I’ll let you know.

Happy toning.

 

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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Mom – you better label the mason jar or else dad will think this is lemonade.  Boy will he get a surprise!

 

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Day 8 – DIY Skin Brightening Aloe Vera Scrub – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 9, 2015 by gracieed

I’m on a DIY Beauty treatment kick at the moment.

Today’s mixture is a skin brightening Aloe Vera scrub.  Apparently Aloe Vera is a bit of a wonder plant.  According to the blog, Indian Beauty Spot, where I found this tutorial, Aloe Vera has gentle healing properties that can reduce the appearance of damage to the skin by gently deep cleaning the skin by removing dead skin cells, grease, dirt and making the skin look healthier and brighter.

01a83ba60c0f335df27d5da104911720365ea97172And the best part is there are only 3 ingredients in this scrub.  Aloe Vera gel, sugar and essential oil.  I chose to use 01503af98503cb9ae80484ec0df8e242f53cb0b571lavender this time, but you could easily do without the oil. If you do add the essential oil, do it sparingly.  I only added 5 drops and it was a little too strong.

The quantities of the ingredients are only for a couple of applications, but that’s okay because I only like to use a scrub about once a week or else my skin starts to get irritated.  Once again, I’m loving the cost.  Got any Aloe Vera gel at home?  Give it a try.  Very refreshing.

Happy scrubbing.

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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So that’s for your face?  Looks yummy!

 

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Day 7 – Vitamin C Serum – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 8, 2015 by gracieed

I still remember my mom taking me to Macy’s to get my first facial cleansing products from Clinique when I was 13.  It was a 3-step regime involving cleaning, toning and moisturizing.  I loved how the process made me feel so grown up.  To this day, I’m so grateful to my mom for starting me off right with taking care of my skin.

01a21b977132d39c89df62feddd054bb0750f0801dThe trouble is as I’ve aged, skin care regimes have become more expensive.  I don’t wear much makeup and make sure to clean, tone and moisturize my skin everyday.  I found this tutorial for a Vitamin C Serum made from the following ingredients: Vitamin C (L Ascorbic Acid), Almond Oil and Olive Oil.

According to the tutorial, these ingredients are supposed to:

  • Vitamin C (L Ascorbic Acid)
    improves the appearance of skin by reducing fine lines and wrinkles
    protects and lessens the effects of sunburns
    protects the skin from free-radical attack01734018560e6ad749e0db5db3b31bc1895076fa67
    prevents skin cell damage due to ultraviolet radiation
  • Almond Oil
    protects the skin from sun damage
    relieves inflammation and irritation
    rejuvenates and softens skin
    reduces scarring
  • 01825b090bd6babcf678fa31389f8100c886a222a9Olive Oil: 
    rich in vitamin E
    plumps and moisturizes skin
    fights free radicals
    calms irritations

Happy moisturizing.

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

Picture 320

 

 

Maybe I need something for anti-aging.  You know I’m 91 in people years.

 

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Day 6 – Citrus Sugar Scrub – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 7, 2015 by gracieed

I must confess that I’ve made sugar scrubs before.  I really love them and am currently out so I thought I’d make a new one and share that with you.

01862cde3d090b3f3825a90178cffffbc13df163f1The common ingredient is always sugar (I know, that seems obvious).  Then you need an oil of some kind.  I’ve made them with olive oil and almond oil. Today I chose coconut oil.  And finally a fragrance.  It’s really up to you.  I like a refreshing peppermint or sometimes lime.  My all time favorite is orange blossom, but with our garbage disposal smelling so good these days thanks to the orange blossom, I thought I’d try another scent. I chose to combine sweet orange and lemon for an invigorating citrus scent.

Here’s my recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
30 drops of essential oil

01438c1503d1809197b7cf424fcfbf94ff05dd7706Melt the coconut oil, add the sugar and fragrance and mix together well.  It should look like the consistency of a snow cone. I hope that makes sense.

01b5742109e8deb90b6ecfe32bd5ccfa312d826d89My skin tends to be dry so I like the amount of oil, but if you don’t want it as oily, then just reduce the amount of oil.

Store the scrub in an airtight container and use it to wash your hands or as a whole body scrub.

Happy exfoliating!

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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P.S.  I learned about #The100DayProject over at Make Do and Mend-able and decided to create a doodle in a 2″ square everyday for 100 days.  I started yesterday.  You can see my doodles by following me on Instagram.  #100daysofDoodles

 

 

 

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Boy that looks really good.  Can you use it on my rough elbows?

 

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Day 5 – DIY Daily Shower Cleaner – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 6, 2015 by gracieed

I don’t know about you, but cleaning the shower is one of my least favorite chores.  And since it’s one of my least favorite, I’m not very good at it.  Unfortunately I wait too long and then it’s an all day affair that exhausts me to the core and requires way too many corrosive cleaners for my liking.

Today’s {DIY From Scratch} is an attempt to keep the shower cleanliness under control and my all day sessions at a minimum.  I’ve used daily shower cleaners before (store-bought) and they work well, but I’ve never been happy about the chemicals involved.  I found this tutorial and decided to give the DIY version a try.

01ede7bfd0b6bd87516849ad4368a8c17c9b95d928 0117eebdbf8f2f79a7075f266565d7c510dae4d77aThere were only 4 ingredients; all ones I had in the house (rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, liquid castile soap, peppermint essential oil).  I mixed them all in my spray bottle and sprayed away.  In my wildest dreams, I had hoped that my shower would sparkle miraculously, but it didn’t.  It did smell minty fresh though which gives the illusion of clean and fresh.

I know that I can’t eliminate cleaning altogether, but it would be nice if this Daily Shower Cleaner would keep the soap scum and mildew at bay and at least take the exhaustion factor out of cleaning the shower.  Here’s hoping….

Happy cleaning!

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

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Well at least when you give us our baths, it will smell really good.

 

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Day 4 – DIY Laundry Detergent – {DIY From Scratch}

Posted on April 5, 2015 by gracieed

100_3826Today’s {DIY From Scratch} isn’t new to me.  I’ve made DIY laundry detergent before both in the liquid, gloppy form and powdered form.   We prefer the powdered.  I used this recipe to make the powdered and chose to follow it again because 1) I’ve had good results and 2) we were out of detergent.

This recipe is incredibly economical and clean clothes well.  The batch costs about $7 to make and yields enough for 128 loads.  In our house this will last about 8 months!

01d4a7ef7084fcc4437763d150da1e09434b0bedb5The last time I made this detergent I used Fels Naptha soap and loved it, but was ready for a change.  A friend told me about Zote soap which is also a laundry soap.  It’s good for delicate clothes and supposedly whitens really well.  It’s also pink!

0193ec7c5b0984047618d156280eea2cf8b056fa5bThe original recipes calls for 2 bars of the Fels Naptha, but the Zote bar is much bigger so I only used one bar.  I grated the Zote soap into a bowl.  I then mixed my washing soda, baking soda and borax into my detergent container (an old store-bought detergent container) and stirred them together. Just a quick note: Since the last time I made detergent there have been warnings going around about new studies that are showing that Borax powder fumes may cause reproductive harm in men.  I wasn’t too worried because I’m making the detergent and after it’s all mixed together it doesn’t give off any powdery fumes.  Obviously this is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself.

01170560bb99b0c51931f2f3a8037f91566b9d4170In the past I’ve made DIY concoctions, really like them, used them, then when I wanted to remake them, I couldn’t locate the recipe.  Well this time, I’m not going to let that happen.  I’ll be putting together a DIY recipe book for myself as I go along as well as writing the recipe and instructions on the container holding the DIY goodness.  For today’s detergent, I wrote everything on top of the lid of the container.

Happy cleaning!

Until tomorrow,

Grace

 

 

 

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Do you think this detergent could clean my tennis ball.  It’s a bit dirty.

 

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