MakingMine

This little piggy was my first project after a major thrifting haul. He was pretty scratched up, but for 49¢ I thought he was cute enough to take home. And with just a bit of chalkboard paint and imagination, this porker now has a new home atop my stove. 

And yes, I fully realize the irony of this project given I’m eliminating animal products from my diet :)

So now that my plastic free kitchen is in full swing, I decided to take the next step and revamp my cleaning routine. I’m astonished by how many chemicals I’ve gotten used to using in my daily life - dusting spray, bleach, shower cleaner, swiffer floor cleaner, fabreeze, disinfecting wipes, the list goes on and on…

I took all of the old offenders, put them in a box and vowed to never let them back into the house.

So, now what? My cupboard was empty and I still had a house to clean. I mean people must have done something in the “old days” to get the job done, right?! Here entered my green cleaning plan. After visiting a number of websites and reading up on the old standbys for cleaning your home naturally, I began assembling my arsenal. Here’s what I came up with:

Clean Green Toolbox:

• Distilled white vinegar
• Washing soda
• Baking soda
• Lemon Oil (used fresh lemon as well)
• Tea Tree Oil
• Lavender Oil

I also bought these awesome mixing/juicing/spraying containers from Amazon. They’re made by Full Circle, and I highly recommend them!

So now you must be wondering how exactly all of this works. I know you’re probably not convinced, because to be honest, I wasn’t sure this was going to work either. Well I can tell you that after mixing up just 2 different natural concoctions, my entire house was fresh and clean. From dusting our wood furniture to scrubbing the stovetop, just two different sprays handled the job!

To give you one example, I’ve been battling to keep my shower clean for months. I had run the gamut with all sorts of other cleaning products and eventually resorted to bleach for some particularly tough stains - ugh, it still didn’t come clean. This time I mixed together 1 part vinegar, 1 part water and 10 drops of lavender, sprayed it in our shower and wiped with a damp cloth. It worked wonders! 100% clean. Naturally! I seriously couldn’t believe it. 

The Full Circle containers came with a booklet of “recipes” for cleaning naturally, but you can find great resources online as well. One area I haven’t made the switch is laundry detergent. Does anybody have any foolproof methods they’d like to share? What changes are you making to clean your home more naturally?

I told you about our trip out to Chuck’s Bargain Barn earlier this week, so now it’s time to show you all what $26, 2 boxes, and a little imagination got me…

4 strawberry glasses

2 blue ball jars

5 white vases

1 glass fish plate

1 milk jug

2 cake plates

1 glass juicer

Not pictured: 1 large glass serving tray

While J and I were back in Iowa last weekend my mom suggested we stop out to Chuck’s Bargain Barn. It’s a local staple for dirt cheap, secondhand goods. Surprisingly, I had never actually been there myself. I was amazed when we pulled up the gravel driveway to see a HUGE series of barns literally spilling open with “stuff.” 

I was a little wary walking into the dusty barn, but once I got inside, I knew J would be dragging me out. There were aisles upon aisles of glassware, serving pieces, vases, lamps - absolutely EVERYTHING! Anything you could think of, Chuck was bound to have it stored away somewhere within those walls! 

It was so fun wandering the aisles and picking up hidden treasures that I knew I could find a home for. 30 minutes and $26 later, I had 2 boxes packed to the brim with items I just couldn’t live without. Here are some pictures from our adventure. I’ll update you with my purchases in another post!

Retro wonderland:

Cook books:

Lamps galore!

A pin board proudly displaying Chuck’s visitors:

Until next time….

My new office space is complete. Simple and elegant - I love it. A perfect place to set up shop and get some work done :)

I have several projects that I’m finishing up today. Most notably, my new “office.” Going back to school meant it was time to carve out some space in the house where I can spread out and concentrate on my studies. J and I trekked to Ikea this weekend to get new furniture. Everything is assembled, but I have a few finishing touches to add before it’s absolutely *complete.* 

In other words…. stay tuned :)