Homekeeping --A Natural Shine to Cleaning

To Disinfect - These two recipes work well on bathroom and kitchen surfaces

1/2cup Borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water
2 cups of boiling water poured over 2 cups of fresh thyme;steep for ten minutes, strain and cool

All Purpose Scouring Powder-

Grind dried petals or fragrant herbs and mix with baking soda

Metal Cleaners-

Silver : Use toothpaste
Brass: Use equal parts salt and flour,add a touch of vinegar to make paste.Let sit before wiping dry.
Copper: Use a paste of lemon juice and salt

Floor Cleaning Recipes -

All purpose floor cleaner- 1 cup vinegar in pail of water
Greasy floors: 1/4 cup washing soda and TBS vegetable oil based soap to every two gallons of hot water
Polish linoleum floors with club soda
Clean and Deodorize carpets: Mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax. Sprinkle generously over carpet,allow to sit for one hour then vacuum

Windows and Mirrors-

One part vinegar added to four parts water
One cup strong black tea with 3 TBS vinegar

Oven Cleaner -

A paste of baking soda and hot water or sprinkle the soda on a damp sponge and wipe.

Water Spots on Furniture -

Massage white toothpaste on the spot, let dry and buff with a clean cloth
Scratch or Stains: Rub the meat of a walnut into the scratch

Who Knew !!!

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge

I was just browsing around and found this amazing group of people that are making pillow cases for a cause. Foster children,cancer patients and victims domestic violence. They are trying to reach a goal of 1 Million pillowcases.

You can help by connecting to www.allpeoplequilt.com They have all the information there. They have patterns and tutorials on finishing pillowcases also.

The sponsor of this project is American Patchwork Quilting. So for all you out there that enjoy sewing this might be a lovely thing to do to help people in need .

Projects Using a Roll of Wallpaper

Bold Service Cart- A basic glass front bookcase becomes a stellar service cart with just a roll of wallpaper. After removing the legs and doors,prime and paint the bookcase.When dry,wallpaper the outside surfaces and install casters to the bottom Reattach doors

Spotlight framed black and white photography in an artful way by covering plain mats with leftover wallpaper. Cut the paper to fit and apply it to mats with double stick tape

Floral paper to rejuvenate the drawer fronts of a tired dresser.

Cover a lampshade for a soft glow whenever the lamp is on. Place a piece of wallpaper on a flat surface. Roll the shade along the wallpaper, tracing both edges. Add 1/2 inch to each edge, cut out the cover and use spray adhesive to attach it. Snip the excess paper at even intervals, fold to the back of the shade.

Ribbon Wrapped Easter Egg Craft

These beautiful eggs look striking, but take just seconds to complete. For added interest,play with different widths and textures of ribbons for this project. Thinner ribbons can be wrapped multiple times around the egg,and thicker ribbons are perfect for layering.

You need
White wooden eggs,ribbon, ric rac,tacky glue

Cut ribbon so it fits securely around egg in the desired pattern. Dot back of ribbon with glue and carefully wrap around egg.

Chocolate Cookie Shake

Oh my this looks yummy !! I need to try this one You need

1 cup chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup milk
1 chocolate sandwich cookie

In a blender container, blend together ice cream and milk. Add sandwich cookie and blend until coarsely crushed

Cleaning with Lemons "Did you know"?

Put a shine on metal- When it comes to copper,brass, and chrome,nix harsh chemical polishes and instead put some elbow grease behind half a lemon.Lemons are highly acidic, which enables them to cut through and loosen mineral deposits

Lemon rinds ground in the disposal will deodorize your sinks drain 1-2-3. Unlike vinegar, which leaves no scent, lemons provide a clean,crisp aroma. Just slice a lemon into chubby quarters , slip them into the sinks disposal, turn on hot water and rinse

Rock Solid Doorstop

A stone can be surprisingly stylish. It becomes a useful accent when you add felt to keep it from scratching the floor
You need Gray or brown felt/stone at least 5 lbs/craft glue

Cut felt to size and shape to fit bottom of stone and glue to stone