Stretching your Vanilla beans

I have recently started making my own vanilla extract for a multitiude of reasons:  its easy, its economical and I can control the ingredients.  Check your bottles; there is actually added sugar in there.  Vanilla beans can be expensive so the best option I have found are these ones from Amazon.

  I have more beans than I know what to do with so I have been trying to do some research and experimenting with ways to stretch these beauties to get the most for my money. Out of the same beans/pods I can do the following four things:

1.  Vanilla extract-cut the beans down the middle and soak 3 beans per 8oz. of vodka  for approx. 2 months.  You can always continue to  add more vodka every time you use half the bottle to have a never ending supply.
2.  Grind the beans up and add them to a vanilla sugar/salt scrub.
3.  Let the beans dry out and add them to your sugar for vanilla scented sugar.
4.  Once the beans have lost most of their fragrance you can grind them up and add them to your coffee grounds when making coffee.  The flavor is subtle and smooth and always yummy. 
5.  Take that same dried bean pod and grind it up to use in your own melt and pour soap recipes.  It will add a slight vanilla aroma but also some "grit" for extra scrubbing. 

I'm sure there are many other uses for these crazy pods.  I would love to hear yours.  I keep thinking there may be a new cleaning product in my future for these things.  Carpet deodorizer with baking soda???  I'm working on it.  Please share your creations.  I still have a ton of these beans!

Fab Formula No. 3- Hair De-tangler

I'm going to make a broad assumption here that a good majority of you have kids.  And, I'm going to assume that you struggle some mornings with said children's hair. 

I have two girls; one with bone straight hair and the other with curly thick hair.  I used to battle with curly Q every morning combing her rat's nest of a head.  No matter what I did, it hurt her.  I was just like everyone else buying bottle after bottle of detangler.  That stuff adds up quick!!!  Now that my daughter can do her own hair, she would go thru half a bottle at a time without even blinking.  I wanted a smarter solution that was going to save me a little cash yet give her the freedom to do it herself.  Hence, formula no. 3!



photo source

Hair de-tangler

8 oz. distilled water

1 tsp. aloe gel

1/2 tsp apricot oil

essential oil (optional)

Place ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to combine.  I just use one of the many spray bottles I already have from the store bought kind.  This formula, however, will cost you mere pennies.

There are many other formulas floating around the web but, so far, this one has been our favorite.  My daughter also loves a little tangerine essential oil in hers.  It smells nice and fruity like the store bought kind too. 

Make Your Own Storage: Recycle

The first few months of the year tend toward a 'spring cleaning' of sorts.  I guess not so much a true 'clean' but a purge....clothes, craft stuff, bags, shoes, dishes, towels,  (did I mention craft stuff?) etc....etc.  We all have our weaknesses (craft stuff) in the things that we pile up on.  Aside from throwing everything out and regretting it later, I really have been trying to utilize the items I already have on hand for storage of said 'stuff'.  Sure, matching boxes from the container store sound wonderful in theory, but is it really practical for me to spend all that money on boxes/containers (when it could be more craft stuff) ? 

I am not the most organized of persons.  Call it right-brained or craft-craziness or whatever, the mess just comes back.  I work best in chaos when all of my tools are right in front of my face.  I want to see everything I have to help spark more creativity.  I'm weird that way.

I really do enjoy making all sorts of bath products.  I've shared some of my recipes and have many more to come.  But, honestly, I can make them much quicker than I can use them all.  And, I dont want to throw them away when I can use them as gifts.  Hence, the storage issue.  Well, low and behold, I picked my brain and started hanging on to some containers of items already purchased/used.  Our family devours cashews and I knew this plastic storage was going to be perfect for my bath bombs.

How easy is this, and why haven't I thought of it before?  I think I used a half sheet of scrapbook paper total on this project and a piece of computer paper.  Cute storage, and free! Now, I get to think up other trinkets to store in these containers and have more fun decorating them with supplies I already have on hand.  Fabulous.

If you would like to download this font you can do so here: betty noir

And, FYI, the sinus recipe will come at a later date.  Stay tuned.......

Realistic Craft Organization

I do not have a craft room.  In fact, I am quite jealous of those who do.  I have a wall, aka vertical storage space.  Just a plain old wall on the side of my dining room that looks like a tornado has hit it.  Aside from its dis-organization, its in a room that gets used quite often when we have company.  I am not a fan of the disorderly, but, it seems to be what I have to live with.  I am determined to find some storage ideas that are not unsightly, affordable, and do-able.  If the storage is something that I need to create, I want to be able to put it together in a timely manner.

I am turning to the 'new' old standby for ideas:   Pinterest.  I am posting some of the ideas I have found on that site to aid in my craft problem.  I also want to turn to you for suggestions.  I am open to anything at this point.  I am also going to do some goodwill hunting.  Surely between those three things, I will be able to bring order to my chaos.  I will post progress photos as I go along but am completely open to all suggestions, critiques, etc.......

Now, I do have a buffet server, but no top.  I am hoping to find one at goodwill.  The one below turned out beautifully and definately not unsightly.

source

Decorative storage above the cabinet would most definately be possible.  I already have some baskets/boxes that good old spray paint would help them coordinate:

source

I am in the process of putting together a budget and gathering ideas.  I will post photos as a I go.  I know this is going to be an ongoing project but I'm looking forward to the journey and the final result.

Series starting Monday

 

Starting next Monday, November 7th, I will be starting my very first series:  Make it yourself Mondays.  My focus for now is going to be on household items we use on a regular basis.  Some of my entries will include, cleaning products, beauty regemins, herbal items, health and wellness. 

We are a nation of consumers and most of the time we aren't even aware of some of the products we are ingesting/exposing ourselves to that can be detrimental to our health.  While we are still, in essence, "consuming" something,  we will be fully aware of what it is.  Yes, we need to purchase supplies to make whatever it is we are making, but why leave it up to "those people" to decide what the ingredients are?  We will be much better off making these items ourselves not only for the quality of the ingredients, but also the quality of the item itself.  Anything that is made with our own two hands gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment.  We really do desire to do the best job we can possibly do.  The end result will be worth every penny.  So, please, join me on this journey.