Window onions?

Ok, so I saw this on Pinterest and have been skeptical.  I thought I would try it just to see what would happen.  I was also wary because my experience with growing onions is that you can sort of smell them while they grow.    EEww. 
So, green onions used for chicken enchiladas, but this time cut the white bottom part off about 3-4 inches up.  I am trying it with only a few in case this goes wrong.  :D

Here is the "before" pic.  I placed the cuts into a few inches of water.  Now three days later, I am so pleasantly surprised to see that it is already working!  Skepticism be gone, it seems to be working...  I hear that these are unlimitedly harvest-able.

How I do my laundry for $.10

Today's post is on how I do my laundry for ten cents a load (or around there somewhere).  When the boys came along, I found myself like many other mothers out there I am sure, doing at least three times the laundry I was used to doing.  I also found that they were allergic to my favorite liquid laundry detergent.  My boys have intensely sensitive skin, and in fact we just had to switch to a sensitive skin version of sunscreen after a week of hives on both of them after a day of sun with the regular baby sunblock. 
     
So a few months back, I found this recipe for laundry detergent online in a few different places.  There was a liquid version and a powder version, and since I have limited laundry cabinet space, I went with the powder version.  I am in love.  It works like a dream, especially on whites and even on the tough stains the boys smash into their clothes.  It is only 5 minutes extra effort and is soooooo much less expensive, I really feel like I am getting away with something.  My mom with her sensitive skin is also hooked.  So if you are interested in how I do it, read on.  And as I stated before, I can't take credit, so I am merely passing along this tried and true recipe.  It is safe for top loading and front loading machines.  I have the old top loader, and I hear that if you want to use it in a front loader, you put it right in with the clothes at the start and don't bother with trying to get it into the drawer soap loader thingy.  It is not a sudsy soap so it works well with these machines.

You can find all the ingredients you will need at your local big box store in the laundry aisle.  You will need a box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda, a box of  20 Mule Team Borax, and a bar of Fels Naptha soap.  You can also substitute a plain bar of ivory soap if you don't like the scent of Fels (which is a heavenly lemon/citrus scent), but I have not ever tested the Ivory version.  I also went to the kitchen/pantry aisle and purchased a locking top canister that you would normally store flour in for the storage of my new soap, you will it see it in pictures below.  You will also need a paper plate or paper towel, a 1 cup dry measuring cup, and a cheese grater.

So with all the supplies collected, measure out one cup of the Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda, dump into canister.

Grate your bar of soap. I grate it onto a paper plate or towel so that I can pick it up, fold the plate and easily pour it into the canister.   Once grated, add it in with the washing soda.

Add one cup of 20 Mule Team Borax.

Close the canister tightly and give it a good shake to mix all ingredients together well.  Be aware the powders will settle to the bottom so you have to be mindful of this when using the soap later on.  Give it a good shake (even upside down) each time you use it.

 This is what three batches will get you!

Online it is recommended to use 1 TBSP per load, but I use 2 because I always do very large loads, and have city water, and tough stains in almost every load.  A regular size load with nothing too tough to wash out would really only need one.  That is really it!  It will feel weird using only that tiny amount, but 2 TBSP is all it takes to get my laundry sparkling clean.  There will be a lovely lemon scent in the air during the wash cycle, but the clothes will not have any scent at all when finished, just super clean.  I get a little scent from my normal dryer sheets.  So there you have it, laundry on the cheap even for sensitive skinned, super messy kids.  For some really tough spots that didn't wash out the first time, I scrubbed them with an extra bar of Fels Naptha soap that I always have around, allowed it to set in for 15 minutes- washed again, and the stains were gone!

Good luck and let me know with a comment if you have a question!

Hello there and welcome to this new little place carved out for some crafty ideas.  I, like many others have fallen deeply in love with Pinterest, and have revived some of my old hobbies in craftiness.  So without further ado, here we go...

I have two little boys- Luca almost 4, and Maxwell that just turned 2.  I was surfing through a local Goodwill store and spotted some of those old cases that look like small suitcases and were made to hold cassette tapes back in the '70's and '80's. (I, of course being a child of the '80's immediately recognized their original purpose.)  :)  I thought that they might be cute used as a real suitcase for my little guys!

Step one:  Rip out the guts, the plastic grids where the cassette tapes were stored.  Underneath these I found glue tracks that I peeled away from the cardboard pretty easily.

Step two:  We took a trip to the local Hobby Lobby, and my boys picked out their favorite basic cotton fabric that they liked.  Dinosaurs for Luca, and footballs and helmets for Max.  You also could use felt, or some kind of vevlveteen variation, whatever you like best!

Step three:  Since it isn't an exact science and each case you find may have different dimensions (even from one side to the other in the same case, as I discovered with the lighter brown one), you will just have to rough cut your fabric to fit the base and sides of each case.

Step four:  I wanted a tried and true non-toxic adhesive so I went with good old elmer's glue.  I put a big pile onto a paper plate, and used a small foam brush to spread it into the case evenly. This avoids globs and bumps that would be created by just squeezing the glue into the case.  Make sure to coat all the area you want covered thoroughly, or you could have some loose fabric.

Step five:  Carefully place the fabric into the case and smooth out over the glue.  Trim any overhanging pieces with sharp scissors or an exacto knife.  Allow to dry for 24 hours, and Ta-Daaa! you have a new suitcase for the kiddos!  (My boys have used them twice already for grandma's house and love them.)  They look like little men carrying them along.