Product Review

I recently had a friend ask me about pet stain and oder remover and thought I would share this great product I have been using.

When we got our dog Izzi last year, she was and 8 month old puppy who had spent most of her life out doors and was not house broke. She had a lot of accidents those first few months. I had been to an Earth Day event at our local zoo and received a sample bottle of Unique's Pet Oder & Stain Eliminator. I had been holding on to it and decided to give it a try. It works wonders! I LOVE this product! Not only does it work on pet stains but it works on kids clothes too!

Izzi the Papeagle

Disinfectant wipes

I was looking for some tips on making some disinfectant wipes using an idea my friend Heather used for baby wipes when her kids where little. I found tis on http://organizedhome.com/.

Materials and Equipment Needed:

• cylindrical or tall square plastic food storage container, 10-cup capacity
• extra-large roll of paper towels
• cleaning agents of your choice (recipes follow)
• electric drill with 1/2-inch drill bit
• electric knife
• liquid measuring cups

Instructions:

In the garage or workshop area, place a small block of wood beneath the plastic food storage container lid. Use electric drill to drill a 1/2-inch diameter hole in the center of the container lid.

For best results, select an extra-large roll of good quality paper towels for this project. Less-expensive towels fray or shred when pulled through the holder; thicker quilted towels have greater cleaning strength and withstand more scrubbing. Even at $1.39 per roll, cost for homemade wipes will be less than 75 cents, not including the storage container.

Without removing the paper towel wrapper, use the electric knife to cut the paper towel roll into two shorter rolls. Save the second roll for a refill later. Be patient! It may take up to two minutes to cut through the towel roll and cardboard tube inside.

Remove the wrapper, and place one short paper towel roll inside plastic food storage container. Using a liquid measuring cup, gently pour one of the following cleaning solution recipes over the top of the paper towel roll.

You will need between 2 and 4 cups of cleaning solution, depending on the size and absorbency of the paper towel product selected. These recipes make about three cups of solution; increase or decrease amounts if needed.

General Surface Cleaning Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water

Disinfectant Cleaning:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine cleaning solution such as Pine-Sol brand
• 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cup water

Window and Glass Cleaning:

• 1/2 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Place the lid on the plastic food storage container, and allow paper towels to absorb cleaning solution for 4 hours to overnight.

Open the food storage container. Gently pull the wet cardboard tube from the center of the paper towel roll and discard. Carefully pull the end of the paper towels from the inside, where the cardboard roll had been. Thread the end of the towels through the hole in the lid, and replace the lid.

Pull gently on the exposed end to separate the cleaning wipe.

Tips:

As you use the wipes, they will begin to dry out, so add more water and/or cleaning solution as necessary. Allow wipes to stand overnight before continuing to use them after adding more solution.

You may vary the strength of the cleaning solutions as necessary for your household, using more cleaning agents for a stronger wipe, less solution and more water for a milder product.

My alternitive:

I however have decided to keep my container (and old butter bucket I got from my mom) in tact and am using old baby rags (about 20) that I still have from when my kids where little. Instead of using one of the recipes above this is what I am using:

2 cups of white distiled vinegar

8 drops Lavender oil

10 drops Lemon oil

5 drops Eucalyptus oil

You could also use just 20 drops of Tea Tree, however with it being nice and sunny and wanting to get started on some spring cleaning, I used a springier smelling blend of oils.

Some new recipes I have been working on/with.

Homemade Deodorant

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup baking soda

2 Tbs coconut oil

few drops of vitamin E (optional)

up to 10 drops of essential oil for sent (optional)

A empty and cleaned deodorant container.



Mix all ingredients together and pack into deodorant container. Let set a few days before use.

My new favorite all purpose cleaner!

Scented Soap and Water

2 cups hot water

1-2 oz unscented Castile soap

5-10 drops essential oil (I used rosemary & spearmint)

16 oz spray bottle.

Gently shake all ingredients in bottle and clean away.

Recycle your Brita filter!

I did not you could recycle your Brita water filter. Unfortunately there is not a place by me that accepts them, but I will hold on to them until I have enough to mail in.

http://www.brita.com/us/support/filter-recycling/

From the garden

Here is the garden Memorial Day weekend.

About a week later I noticed some of my plants were being eaten by Cucumber Beetles.

I used 3 different methods to get rid of them. Because there were so many of them the first method was to use a homemade organic soap insecticide spray (recipe is at the bottom of the post), the second was to plant onions around the plants affected by the beetles. And third to just pick them off as I found them.

And some pics from over the past few weeks.

Cucumbers & Radishes

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Corn & Broccoli

Peppers

Zucchini


Fresh picked!

We have picked so much so far, seems like everyday we eat something out of the garden!

In this house (and yard) you can NOT eat a carrot (or apple) without sharing with the dog.

The newest addition to the garden (actually just outside of it), an underground bees nest!

Because I am allergic to bees we will be searching for a beekeeper to come collect them. I am hoping to find one at our local farmers' market this weekend. If not, the search will continue. Because of the reduction in bee populations we do not wanna see the bees harmed in any way.

Soap Insecticide

1 Gallon of water

1-2 Tablespoons Liquid Castile Soap

1 Dropper of Garlic Oil

When using the Soap Insecticide use it later in the day, after the 'good bugs' have gone away. Make sure to spry under the leaves as well as the tops. Wait about an hour and rinse off your plants! If left on too long plants may be burnt. Use once a week until there are no more signs if infestation.

Dish Detergent

For a few years now I have been looking for and trying to find a automatic homemade dishwasher detergent, that I really like. Today I was visiting Green Living Tips and found this one. It's worth a shot! And I already have all of the ingredients in my kitchen! It can be used for both hand washing the dishes and in your automatic dishwasher!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:
stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

I'll comment later with my thoughts.

Rain and Composting Barrels

I recently made a rain barrel and a compost barrel for my yard, both things I have been wanting for a few years now. Mission (finally) accomplished!

I bought my (food quality) barrels off Craigslist for $10 a piece. The seller was nice enough to bring them to work with him for me to pick up. He works about 5 miles from my house, but lives more than a 1/2 hour away. I ended up buying a total of 3 barrels from him, 2 plastic and 1 steel (for my hubby).

I was pretty impressed with my loading of the barrels into my van.

My Lil helpers.

The Compost Barrel

55 gallon food grade drum barrel
drill

jig saw

1/16 inch drill bit
3/4 inch drill bit

2 inch drill bit

2 hinges with nuts and bolts

latch

2 inch pipe (longer than your barrel is tall)

1 piece of re bar longer than the diameter of your barrel

4 sets of nuts and washers that fit the re bar

2-3/4 inch brass grommets

2-2 inch brass grommets

Something to keep the latch shut.

Permanent marker

Use the maker to make an outline for the door of your barrel.

Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to make a hole to insert the jigsaw blade and cut out your door.

Mark and drill the holes for your latch and hinges, using the 1/16 inch drill bit.

Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to drill holes in your barrel for aeration.

Attach your hinges and latch.

Reinforce 2 of the holes at one end of the barrel with the 3/4 inch brass grommets. Place the re bar trough the grommets with the nuts and washers to hold it in place. This will function as your handle to turn the barrel.

Use the 2 inch drill bit to drill 1 hole at either end of your barrel, reinforce with the 2 inch brass grommets and place the 2 inch diameter pipe trough the 2 inch brass grommets.

Place on stand.

I reused many items we had in the garage that were here when we moved in. The stand I got from my dad. It used to be his rain barrel stand and we had to alter it to make it work for us.

The Rain Barrel

Materials needed:

55 gallon food grade drum barrel

Drill

Jig saw

3/4 inch drill bit

3/4 inch spigot, male

3/4 inch pipe coupling, female

2-rubber washers with inner diameter of 1 inch

Window screen
Silicone

screws
Permanent marker

You have to forgive me for not having picture of the steps I took to make my rain barrel. I was so into making it, I forgot to take the picures. Sorry.

Just like on the compost barrel, make an outline on the top of the barrel. Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to make a hole to insert the jigsaw blade and cut out a hole in the top.

Use your arm to measure where to put you spigot, by putting you arm into the hole you cut our of the top of the barrel and reach as far as you can. Use the marker to mark this spot. Use the 3/4 inch drill bit to drill a hole in this spot. Insert the 3/4 inch pipe coupling, put silicone around the coupling and place a rubber washer on ether side of it. Attach spigot. Use the screws to keep the screen secure.

We do not have gutters on our house or garage, so here is my collection system. I have collected several buckets and line them up under the eaves to collect the rain water. I Put the lids on so I don't lose the water, put buckets into the wagon, pull them to the barrel and dump them in.