Let's Get Organized!

Ahh, what a beautiful pantry (now don't most of us wish we had a pantry that big!!)
I detest clutter, and love organization. Unfortunately it's something I have to work on, can you relate? I'm very organized in certain areas and very scatter brained in others. { My husband is so good for me, he truly balances me out and helps me so much. Thank you, honey!! :-D }

Maybe it's the carefree designer in me, the creative side, the "go with the flow" part of me that makes me have to work on it all the more. While the other side of me really craves structure, organization and all things "type A". Can you see how difficult this is when I have 2 distinct sides of me? haha!

There's something so beautiful about neatly stacked items, organized shelves, labeled bins, color coordinated closets, things in their place, and everything else that goes along with -ORGANIZATION.

There's a calming effect that happens when your home is free of clutter. There's a euphoric feeling when you take a space and make it beautiful and functional through organization. There's even a giddy happiness when you can find exactly what you're looking for, due to everything having a place.

Anyway, as I said, it's something I have to work on and thankfully my friend told me about a wonderful blog. This blog is genius, and Jen, the creator is double genius! You must visit her blog here to see what I mean.

For one of my "New Year's Resolutions" I mentioned previously how I'm going through each room of my home and doing a lot of detailed organization to make things more functional. When you have a smaller home, it's essential! Even with a bigger home, organization is essential for functionality. I really love Jen's post on "Where to Begin" because I think it can get quite overwhelming unless you know where to start....

Here are some fabulous tips from this Organizing guru:

1. Pick a space/zone - Start Small
2. Make a list - Prioritize Projects
3. Sort belongings
4. Sell/Donate/Recycle/Toss
5. Organize - Place items where it makes the most sense
6. Pat yourself on the back, do a little dance, give a high five... feel accomplished!!

You can take the time to read the detailed post here on her blog. I highly suggest it!

In closing, I hope these tips have been inspiring!!

I'm off to ....you'll never guess....do some organizing!!! ;-D

~Lauren

Packing is a PAIN!

This post really merits no practicality, it might be perceived as boring, and altogether it might not be read at all. However, I just have to know who else dreads the tedious job of packing for a vacation! Is there anyone out there that can relate???

My sweet husband is taking me on a "date weekend". I'm SO SO SO thrilled to be able to get away with the love of my life, and I'm looking forward to every moment spent together, but alas....I must pack for this trip.

* I. Hate. Packing. *

I think it's partly due to the fact that in my heart of hearts, I want to be able to pack light....all the while knowing that it will never happen. ;-P Do you know how frustrating that is?
Also, I have no idea what I'm going to "feel" like wearing when I get to our destination - you ladies all know that our feelings definitely come into play when deciding what to wear, right? You don't want to wear something that will make you feel fat, frumpy, uncomfortable, etc - and it totally varies from day to day, for me anyway. ;-) So there's no way of knowing what you'll "feel" like wearing, so I "feel" it's necessary to bring many options. I know they say never to live by your feelings, but this is one area where I must. haha

Then comes the task of deciding what shoes would go best with the plethora of outfits you're bringing, what jewelry, and what accessories you might want to wear - especially for a DATE weekend! Now, part of me thought about purposely "forgetting" a whole lot of things, since we're planning to be in the big city! (hee hee) Then, I thought again and decided I had better "remember" the various items I wanted to bring. My husband, after all, is a very smart man and knows me extremely well. ;-D

Maybe I have negative thoughts about packing because my luggage was lost when I moved to Europe and it took them DAYS to find it. Maybe it's because my suitcase was left at the airport in Italy while vacationing there (thankfully it was still there waiting for me when we realized it was missing).

Who knows WHY I hate to pack so much.....I just do.

Needless to say, I always procrastinate when it comes to packing, I dread it. Afterward, I am always reminded though that it's not as bad as I thought it was. Most importantly, I realize that if I want to go on a trip, packing will always be a prerequisite. So, with that said - I will always be glad to go through the painful, arduous chore of packing in order to get outta town with my hunky hubby.

Let me know your thoughts! Do you dread packing? Are you a light or *ahem*....heavy packer? Where's your favorite place to go for a getaway weekend? Any tips or tricks in order to make the packing experience more bearable? (besides a list -yes, I always make a list) Do you have any humorous packing/vacation stories? Share them with us, we'd love to hear!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

~Lauren

Dry Cleaning - UGH!

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."



I happen to be one that is attracted to clothes that say those dreaded three words on the label. "Dry Clean Only" I HATE taking clothes to a dry cleaners, it's time consuming, a big pain, and expensive!

Then....I found Dryel (and I saw the light from heaven shining down, and heard the choir of angels) I love this stuff! It's so simple and easy to use. In my humble opinon, I believe it does the same thing that any Dry Cleaner would do.


Click here to read about how it works. It simply steams your clothes in the reusable dryer bag and for the $10 starter kit - you can do up to four items of clothing. It really is SO easy! Oh and just the other day, I "Dry Cleaned" two of my husbands WOOL suits!! I've used it on a variety of items- dry clean only, delicates, etc. I've been very satisfied with the outcome.

**I have an HE dryer, but it should work fine with any dryer that you can control the heat.

Watch for coupons, and buy the starter kit and refills with them. Consider this a brief, FYI post, that will hopefully save you some time, money, and a lot of hassle. Try it out, and I hope you'll be as pleased as I was!

~Lauren

Homemade Fabric Softener!

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

As per a few requests, I decided to post a quick fabric softener recipe as a follow up to our Homemade Detergent. This stuff is way cheaper, and has NO chemicals.

Ok, hold on to your seats. This will be the easiest recipe you have ever seen. So prepare yourself.

Ok... Ready? : )

Homemade Fabric Softener:

1/2 c. - 1 c. of Distilled White Vinegar

*Add to your softener compartment, or try to remember to add during the rinse cycle (for those of us not lucky enough to have brand new HE washers... not that I'm bitter against my GREAT, AWESOME friend Lauren... Ha ha!!)

And that's it! YOUR CLOTHES WILL NOT SMELL LIKE VINEGAR. As a matter of fact, it helps get rid of most any unpleasant smells from your clothing. The vinegar also helps with static cling, fluffs up blankets, and really breaks up soap residue. This is also great for baby items!!

This stuff works great even for clothes forgotten in the washer for too long that have begun to stink: Add a 1/2 c. to 1 c. of vinegar and re-rinse.

Also, if you use fabric softener a lot, you can buy this stuff by the gallon (as I do) and add 20 drops of lavender essential oil to the jug. Shake well before each use.

Love, love, love this stuff! I use vinegar all over the house! I'll cover that more later! : )

And, you can look here if you missed our Homemade Detergent!

Hope this helps!

~Page

The Wonders of Fels Naptha!

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I have to say that I just LOVE Fels Naptha soap! As Lauren mentioned in an earlier post, we are both making our own homemade laundry detergent. Although there are other soaps that can be used for this detergent (such as Ivory or Colgate's Ocatagon), we both prefer FN! It's just the best!! : )

I wanted to take a little time to highlight FN and all of the other economical things it can also be used for. The more uses for your product, the more bang for you $$$$! If you look here, you can see many of the uses listed below and then some!

"**Fels Naptha Soap is a fantastic stain remover and pre-treater. It works especially well on oil-based stains. Just rub the stain with a wet bar of Fels Naptha Soap. Let it sit for a while and launder as usual. It works great on baby clothes which have formula stains.

~For chocolate smudge on clothes, rub the stain with Fels Naptha Soap and let sit in your filled washer with 20 Mule Team Borax for 30 minutes. Launder as usual.

~Thoroughly wash all clothing including hats, gloves coats in Fels Naptha Soap to prevent an outbreak of poison ivy. Poison Ivy resin can remain on your clothes for over 1 year. Washing with Fels Naptha will eliminate the resin from your clothing.

~To remove Halloween makeup from clothing, simply work a little Fels Naptha into the stain and launder as usual. It may take a repeat washing to completely remove the stain.

~To clean white canvas tennis shoes, simply work the Fels Naptha Soap into a lather and use a soft brush to work into the canvas. Launder as usual without chlorine bleach.

~To remove old stains on colored clothes, make a solution of 2 cups warm water and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Pour on stain. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse well and work in Fels Naptha Soap. Launder as usual.

**Poison Ivy Prevention: Fels Naptha Soap has been used for over 100 years for the treatment and prevention of poison ivy, sumac and oak rash. If you think you have been exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, shower immediaetly with Fels Naptha to remove the resin from your skin. This will greatly reduce and in most cases, prevent any skin reaction to the poison ivy oil. Make sure to launder your clothes in some shaved or grated fels naptha (about 1/16th of the bar) to remove the resin from your clothes. Poison Ivy resin can stay on your clothes for over 1 year even if the clothes have been washed with normal detergent.

~Poison Ivy Treatment: If you are exposed to poison ivy and you have a reaction, simply shower with Fels Naptha to remove any resin left on the skin and it will help to dry up the rash as well."

FN also can be useful for certain lawn care aspects, cleaning paint brushes, or just general cleaning for really tough jobs.

I also wanted to put up a quick post on the liquid version of our detergent:

*6 c. Water

*1/2 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated

*1/2 cup Washing Soda

*1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

*3 Gallon bucket to mix it in

*22 c. hot water

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 6 c. water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until dissolved and thickened, and remove from heat. Add 4 c. of hot water to large bucket (must be able to hold at least 3 gallons). Add soap mixture, and mix well. Add 1 gallon plus 6 c. (or 22 c.) hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

I have made the liquid version, which works just as well as the powder. I just like the simplicity and the "lack of wait" for the powder much more!! : )

Again, I love FN and hope you find it as useful as I have!!!

~Page

P.S. Having trouble finding FN? Watch for sales here and get it for as little as $0.99!!!

Homemade Deodorant... That Works!!

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

"Lord, by this time he stinketh" John 11:39

Bwa ha ha ha ha!! That has to be one of my most favorite verses in the Bible! "But Lord, he stinks!" : ) The story is truly amazing. Our Lord, Almighty, raising a man from dead! Wow!! But even as amazing as it was--I'm sure no one was running to give Lazarus a hug when he came walking out!! No one appreciates a rotten, yucky stench... Hence, the following (ha ha!!):

Ok, I know that most of you were raising an eyebrow from the second you saw the title. "Homemade Deo??" Yes! Just keep reading! It will be worth your while... : )

A few details: I have been searching for an all natural deodorant for a while now. As with anything else, get on the internet for 2 seconds and you can find all sorts of conflicting research about the topic . But as for me, I personally think the less chemical junk we use in our homes and on ourselves, the better.

I have purchased a few all natural deos in the past, and THEY NEVER WORK! So frustrating! I think a lot of natural products get the rep of not working... I'm sure a lot of you have seen or tried some "all natural miracle" products, and been extremely disappointed. (I HAVE!!!) But, I still know that there are products out there that are really great, all natural, and most of the time work better for less $$$$. So, I kept searching...

And... I found it!

Thank you, Lord, for meeting this want for me! : )

After much searching, I came across a blog that had a recipe for this homemade wonder product.

This stuff works great! Trust me... It has been used for general use, work outs, and even a trip to Dollywood on the hottest day of the summer to date!! And since I refuse to "stinketh", this was perfect for the job! : )

So, here's the ingredients (for my modified version):

So, of course, I would leave the sea salt out of the picture... But you get the idea. : )

1/4 c. baking soda

1/4 c. of arrowroot powder*

4 Tbs. of coconut oil

10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice**

a pinch or two of fine sea salt***

*As you can read from the original recipe , cornstarch can also be used in place of the arrowroot powder (found in most health food, gluten free, or organic based stores), but this can lead to yeast infections. It is worth your while to purchase the arrowroot powder.

**For the essential oils, I used 10 drops of tea tree oil and 5 drops of lavender. Both of these oils have antibacterial properties (bacteria being the cause of the sweat odor). But there are many other oils and combinations of oils that you can use to suit yourself! That is another great thing about this product!! : )

***I added the bit of sea salt after reading somewhere that salt makes an unfriendly home for the offending bacteria. Some natural deos are nothing but a block of salt!

Just take these ingredients and mix them well in a container with an air tight lid. Store at room temperature.

To apply, just scoop out a tiny dollop on your finger and rub it in.

The consistency is just like a store bought deodorant at room temp. And this costs the same or less (depending on what brands you use) as many other deos!

And that's it!

I really love this stuff and intend to stick with it. It's just what I was looking for: all natural, good for me, and does the job well!! God calls us to take care of our bodies, and this is just a small thing I can do to fulfill this calling.

Try it out and let me know what you think!!

~Page

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

So much TO DO!

Proverbs 31:17 "She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms."



I have found that if I do not make a daily "To Do List", I am not nearly as productive with my household responsibilities. I often jokingly refer to it as "Housework ADD". How many of you can relate?? Please tell me that I'm not the only one that suffers from this??.....

Thankfully, I've found that the solution is to start my day off with the Lord, create my daily To-Do list and then start checking off each item (I find great satisfaction in checking off each task)!! A weekly chore schedule has also proven to be invaluable for me, for there is just NO way that you can accomplish EVERYTHING in one day (trust me, I've tried). :-D

We all stay busy, but the infamous "To Do List" can be your best friend! Try it out! With this being said, enjoy the little story below, I believe you'll get a laugh!

I'm off to keep checking things off my list!

~Lauren

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN...

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old's diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are...

If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

THE STORY OF OUR LIVES!!!!!

Written by Kathy Fictorie

The BIG Reveal! Happy Birthday, Son!

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

As I mentioned in a previous post (here), my husband and I (mainly my hubby!) have been working on a special present for my son's birthday!

Here he is! Such a cutie! It's so hard to believe that he is already 2! Raising a child gives new meaning to the phrase "time flies when you're having fun". Ok, I could talk about my kiddo endlessly, but I better get back to the surprise... : )

I'm not sure if anyone has priced play sets for children, particularly the wooden ones... but the best way to describe them is as follows: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

No joke. It is more than ridiculous how much these things are!

For those of you who don't know, we are in the process of building a home, (which my awesome husband is doing by himself!), so we don't have any excess $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to buy a nice play set for our son... Ok--we can't afford the el-cheapo either (ha!), but that is what this blog is all about! Using our God-given gifts and talents to create wonderful things, all while being a good steward with what we have been given!

So here is what we did:

My husband has a sawmill. Yes, a sawmill. Someday I'll expound more on what that is like, but today--is just about the play set. My husband took some trees from our property and cut most of the wood for the play set. A 4x4 alone from Lowe's costs around $17, which we needed six of! Savings galore with the sawmill!

Here I would like to point out that one of my husbands God-given talents is

building. He can build ANYTHING.

Sorry ladies. This one is TAKEN! : )

Here's another progression pic...

Scott, my husband, designed and built this from the ground up. The slide was a steal of a deal found on Craig's List.

The metal roof was made from scrap pieces from our home. The swing was given to us. Blessing after blessing. Our God truly does bless, and also meets our wants as well.

The final product! Thank you, Lord!

What is left is the other swing and the sandbox (still in progress). Will post when finished!

We were able to save a ton of money by putting this together ourselves. (I helped! Really! Painting and Craig's List counts!! Ha ha!)

And here was the best part!

Isaac's reaction to seeing his birthday present! This was his ever growing smile from the second he came around the corner with Daddy! So worth it!!

Our little climber!

He had so much fun!

And so did we!

Thank you, Scott. You're a wonderful husband, father, and a great craftsman!

Happy birthday, son! You're an awesome kid and I'm looking forward to watching you grow!

~Page

Are you a Savvy Shopper?

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

This is quite a broad subject as you can literally shop for anything nowadays! Question is - are you a Savvy Shopper? Clever, discerning, sensible, wise, and ingenious are just a few synonyms of the word "savvy" and I believe they all describe how you MUST be if you are to find a good deal.

I am a girly-girl all the way and LOVE to shop! However, I have literally saved my husband and I, hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by being willing to hunt for amazing bargains and good deals. I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back, but letting you know that I talk from experience. :-) I can easily look around my house and view items purchased for a steal of a deal, or things that I transformed into something that would work perfectly in our home. I personally view it as a "game" or "treasure hunting", as it is quite FUN and an incredibly rewarding experience knowing that you're saving money! I definitely view it as one of the MANY responsibilities of being a Biblical help -meet for my husband and keeper of our home.

Craigslist.org, Ebay.com, thrift stores, consignment shops, and garage sales, are some of the most popular places to find a good deal. I know that there are many people not too keen on acquiring things 2nd hand, but let me tell you that if you're willing to try it - you'll quickly find yourself addicted to it!

I have gone into thrift stores and found brand new Aldo shoes (made in Italy), name brand clothing -new with tags, high quality dinnerware in perfect condition, antiques, Pottery Barn drapes new in package, these are just to name a FEW! You just never know what you'll find and hence why I call it "Treasure Hunting". Many people think that you have to go daily to find these deals, but I can tell you that I rarely ever get to go once a week, much less once every two weeks!! It is hit & miss, but you just never know what you'll find. It's worth it, so try it!!

In addition, many blogs are great resources of "Do It Yourself" projects -they show you how to refinish that old piece of furniture to make it look amazing, and thereby saving you lots of money! Our friend, Julie, is quite the inspiration with this and we find ourselves often in awe of her many creative ideas. You can view her blog here. You will not be disappointed!

If you don't like to do either of the above mentioned savvy shopping tactics, then you can always try your hand at couponing. Now for me personally, this is not something that I do very often, but I have friends that are amazing at it! They actually get paid to shop! ;-) My friend, Rachael, is quite informative on this subject and has a blog that goes into much more detail. You can check out her blog, here.

Now if you just don't want to do any of the items listed above, then I believe you can STILL be a savvy shopper (just not AS good-ha!). I believe planning ahead is KEY. Planning requires thinking ahead and preparing accordingly, you will save yourself time, money and stress by doing this. A few ideas along this line are having a gift closet, and collecting nice items that you find on clearance and having them on hand for just the time you need them. Shopping throughout the year and acquiring items for Christmas (we will have a post about this very topic soon!). Stocking up on sale items at the grocery store that you can easily freeze or store in pantry. Canning homemade goods and giving them as gifts. Be creative and think of ways that you can plan ahead and save your family time and money - become a SAVVY SHOPPER!

The little things really do add up - I think everyone realizes this. However, as you save your family in the "little areas", it really will show and add up. Figure out the ways you can save money and pocket those pennies for the more important things in life. You'll be SO glad you did!!

What are some ways that YOU save your family money? We'd love to hear what you do to save those hard earned dollars! :-)



~Lauren

Homemade Rug Deodorizer

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I am privileged to have mostly hardwood floors throughout my house, but I do have a couple of rugs throughout. I don't know about you, but over time, despite constant vacuuming -they just need a "pick me up" in the smell good department. That probably is in part due to my adorable "kids" -see pic below. ;-) While my babies are hypo-allergenic and "shed-free" (fact -there is no totally shed-free dog), they definitely give me reason to freshen my carpets!
I was talking to Page on the phone (gasp! -ha!) and mentioned how I hate the rug in my sun room, it was just not smelling good. She, being the ever wise friend that she is, told me about a natural, homemade carpet deodorizer.

Baking Soda + a few drops of Essential Oils = Homemade Carpet Deodorizer!










I chose to use orange oil, because I LOVE the smell of citrus and find it completely refreshing. Feel free to use whatever essential oil you prefer. The easiest way to find these oils is online, blog post about these little gems later.

Next, take and pour some Baking Soda into a dish and sprinkle in a few drops of the essential oils. Keep in mind that these oils are EXTREMELY concentrated and a few drops really go a long way. Now, you'll see from the picture that I used several more than you might need, just because I was dealing with an extra STINKY rug! ;-P

The picture below shows exactly what to do - sprinkle a few drops and mix well. It will end up looking just like a small bowl of good smelling baking soda!


Sprinkle this mixture on your carpet, just like you would with any store bought carpet deodorizer. The great thing about this homemade product is that it is chemical free (that's another post for another day) and VERY economical! For my thin, fibrous rug seen below, I just allowed the mixture it to rest on top and fall through the fibers. For any other carpet, gently brush it in to get a thorough reviving.
Once it's sprinkled over the rug/carpet, let it do its job for a little while. I left mine on for 30min or so, it all depends on the needs of your rug. Once you've let it do its wonders, simply vacuum and your rug will be smelling fresh and clean!! (an added bonus is that it enlivens your vacuum too, making it smell great!)


~To sum it all up -this is an affordable, economical, environment friendly, chemical-free, best-smelling-ever, way to freshen your carpets! Try it on all carpets that you can vacuum, including in your car! Be creative and start making the world a better place, one rug at a time! ;-D

I know this is an extremely practical post, but I hope it'll be of help to someone! I am now happy to say that my rug in the sun room, does not stink!! Thank you, Page!!


Until next time!

~Lauren