30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts and Decor: All Wrapped Up!

Well Friends, this is the last post in my 30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts and Decor. Yes, it is a day late but when family is in town and last minute trips to the beach are planned, those are more important (in my opinion) than whether or not a post is on time. Because family time matters! We all will be spending more time [hopefully] with family and friends this holiday season. Give them hugs and kisses, tell them you love and appreciate them because you never know when God will call you or them home! And, if you are giving gifts to your loved ones too, as my last post, I wanted to share some of the creative ways I have found online through blogs and Pinterest to wrap them up. I sincerely hope that the last thirty days have encouraged you to be creative this holiday season both in your decor and gift giving! 
From me to you all ~ Happy Crafting!

All Wrapped Up!

How to make a modular bow from UsefulDIY. This looks so simple it makes me shake my head and wonder how I never figured this out on my own before. ; ] You have to stop by and check them out!

A simple and quick wrap idea for a last minute gift ~ wrap up a candy bar. Check them out at The Frugal Girls 

Rebecca at Older and Wiser has a TON of awesome ideas for wrapping including this beautiful one from her Dollar Store Wrapping post!

Love this wrapping idea for the fashionista in your life. Wrap with a shirt and pin for a bow! Check out this and other wrapping ideas at Kollabora.

How to make a bow from anything at the blog 100 Layer Cake. Another great use for all those extra magazines I have lying around....

My favorite wrap idea from the list at Urban Farmgirl ~ old t-shirt ribbons.

If you are a paper-crafter, here are some super cute options from the blog, Stamped - Bettina and Mary.

Homemaker Adventures: The Making of Laundry Soap!

My mom and I gave making homemade liquid laundry soap a whirl yesterday. And guess what, IT WAS EASY! And so much fun to do. I tell you, for something so simple, quick and easy to make, it left me with such a feeling of accomplishment! Something about making laundry detergent by hand for so little money instead of paying the corporate prices at the big box stores...... just awesome. We doubled the recipe in the link and we filled the pictured three containers. It cost me less than $10.00 for the ingredients and I have a bunch left over! I will let you know what I think of its cleaning abilities after I give it a couple of tries but let me reassure you that this has been tested and tried by friends of mine that love it. And there budgets love it too! 

Here is the cost breakdown. All items bought at my local Winco.
Box of Borax: $3.38
Box of Arm&Hammer Washing Soda: $3.17
Bar of Fels Naptha: $0.97
Total: $7.52 *

*In the recipe, she also adds that you can add in essential oils for scent. We added 10 drops of Lavendar Essential Oil that I purchased a while back from my friend, Karyn. It's not much but a little can go a long way and the Fels Naptha is already scented. Check out Karyn's site, Fit2B on Your Skin, to purchase essential oils and learn about their different properties and how they can boost your laundry detergent's cleaning abilities. 

Here is the link to the 
Laundry Soap: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm
She includes a ton of great information about the products she uses, her cost breakout and answers a bunch of reader questions. 


Happy Soap Making Friends! 

I am a Prepper. Wait, WHAT!?

• I am always increasing my knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas.
• I am a gardener, ever learning new ways to grow and cook my own food. 
• In case of an emergency, I have a plan for my family. We all know where to meet up and have an extra evacuation place to go to, if needed. 
• I have stored away supplies around my house in case of an emergency situation. Extras like batteries, first aid kits, toilet paper, candles, matches, food, water and fuel.
• I have personal protection and the know how to use it. 
• I have cash on hand in case the bank is closed and we need gas, food or supplies quickly. 
• I believe in planning ahead. 
• I believe in being self-reliant or, if you like, self-sufficient.
• I believe in helping those who are less fortunate.
• I believe in God and putting to good use His provisions. 

I am a prepper. Yep. You read that correctly. I would call myself a prepper.

• No, I am not a crazy person. (at least, that's what the voices in my head tell me)  hehehe  : )
• No, I do not believe that zombies are going to attack us. 
• Yes, I do believe that there is evil in this world. People, overcome by evil, do bad things and those bad things don't always happen to other evil people. 

In my opinion, we should all be preppers to a certain extent. I mean, look at the meaning of prepare: to put together; to get ready; to work out the details of; to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use or activity. Those are not crazy ideas or thoughts. Those are some pretty basic ideas. And, just because I choose to label myself a prepper, that doesn't mean I am a hoarder by any means or that I am not a philanthropist. I give as I feel I am lead to give and I prepare I as feel I am lead to prepare. So, where ever you are on the media's current sensationalized portrayal of prepping, this is where I am on prepping. Your thoughts?

New Year Goals in One Word: Prepared

A friend of mine asked her Facebook friends to describe their goals for the new year in one word. For me, that word is Prepared. I had already been working on my goals list for 2013 before she posted the question. So when it was asked, I read through my list and that is the word that came to mind. I need to be more Prepared. 
For what, you ask? What ever might come. 
There has been a lot that has happened the last couple of months that has me thinking about if I am prepared for similar situations. Hurricane Sandy. Long black outs. Unexpected and sometimes extreme weather conditions. Shootings. Economic conditions. For me, to be prepared for these and other happenings that might come our way that we cannot foresee, I want to cover the bases. 
First, prepare the soul. Prepare the mind. This, for me, means getting back to the Word of God. Make it more a daily part of my life and my families. I am saved. I know where I am going when I die. What I want to carry more of with me everyday is how He says to handle what ever comes our way, good and/or bad. 

A bright new year is here!

Second, prepare my home life. As 
many have said as did the wife of one of my pastors, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Declutter. Simplify. Waste not. Make more of the home space I am given: gardening, crafting, teaching my kids, cooking. Get the household debt down. Use more cash. Be more thrifty. Also, as a part of preparing the home, stock up on first aid and survival, self sufficiency gear. There seemed to be too many that weren't very prepared for all the different weather conditions and help was taking too long to get to people in some cases. I am taking that as a lesson to us that we need to be better prepared to fend for ourselves and not so dependent on help coming or the stores having enough for everyone.  
Last, prepare my body. Get physically fit. Walk more. Jog more. Play more. Use the resources available to workout from home. Eat less junk and 'boxed' foods and more from scratch, hand made, fresh foods. Take more vitamins. Learn more about essential oils and herbs; natural remedies. Learn to be more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. Learn how to protect myself and my kids if the occasion should arise that I might have to. 

Well, there it all is. It might seem like a lot but, really, when it is written down as a check list, it isn't a lot. A check list should have details under each category so the bigger goals are broken down to be more manageable and attainable. I like a check list, no matter how long, because I can choose one item a day or five, depending on how I am feeling, and mark it off when it is accomplished. Then, as more and more are marked off, I can look at how far I have come. I have proof that I am moving in the direction I wanted to. And, as I think of more, I add them. Just more that can be accomplished. 

So what do you want to accomplish this new year? What one word sums up your goals? I wish you luck in your adventures this year! I look forward to sharing mine with you. 

Wasting Not

Waste Not, Want Not ~ If you do not waste things, you will never be in want of things. 

Willful waste makes woeful want ~ Do not waste anything thoughtlessly. 

As I was cleaning out my closet today, tossing a fair amount of old tee shirts in a pile, I thought about these two sayings. Hmmmm.... What new use could these old tee shirts serve now? Then the memory of my dad's rag box in the garage came to mind. When are we never in need of a rag to clean with? There are just somethings to clean that I do not want to use my wash clothes on. Some jobs need a rag you can use and toss. So I decided to take my old cotton tee shirts and start my own rag box.

First step, cutting off the arms.

Second step, cutting tee shirts at the seems. Now each tee shirt has become two square rags.

I have to say, looking at my pile of rags, there is a smile on my face. I did not waste. And I will not be in want or woe next time I have a dirty chore to do. I took something that was going to become trash and turned it into something useful and wonderful. Wonderful in that every time I go to grab a rag from the box, I will smile again at what I have made and how fashionable my chores will be.

>smiles<