Wordless Wednesday: White Christmas!

How to refill Swiffer Wet-jet solution

A few weeks ago I posted about how I make my own Swiffer Wet-jet pads. I just realized that in that post I promised to tell you how to refill your Wet-jet solution container! In my crazy, pre-Christmas mindset I forgot. So here it is:

It's super easy. Start by filling a large glass measuring cup half way with boiling water. Next, add a couple splashes of white vinegar. Insert the empty solution bottle upside down in the water (it will suck up some of the water so that it won't float). Let it soak for 30 minutes. Remove. Using a towel to get a good grip, you should be able to remove the lid. Now you can refill with whatever solution you like. For an anti-bacterial cleaner that is safe for all floors including wood, use this recipe:

1 cup white vinegar
1 Tbs. dish soap
1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup water

This solution has worked well for me on my tile and linoleum.

Fun Fridays: Our First Gingerbread House!

This year Corky was old enough to make her first Gingerbread house! It turned out beautiful* and she was surprisingly cooperative! For those of you who know my daughter, you know that she is extremely independent and stubborn. So I was thrilled when she let me show her what to do. She normally doesn't give you the chance to give any instruction, she just wants to do it herself. So... going into this project, I expected the end result to be something like a pile of gingerbread pieces with huge blobs of frosting and candy pieces scattered everywhere! It was nice to have some toddler cooperation!

* Notice that the chimney is sideways?? Mommy's fault!

                                      

She had lots of fun decorating the "gingy" house. This is something we will have to do again next year!

                                       

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

So, your wondering right?? Well, this is a project that Corky and I did this summer (I'm just getting around to posting about it) called Color Adventure. She named it herself, after the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode of the same name! In that episode, Mickey and friends discover that all the color is draining out of the clubhouse. To fix it, they must go on a scavenger hunt to find an object that represents each color of the rainbow. Well, when I made this little game I didn't realize that it was basically the same thing! She did however (so perceptive)!

Anyway, to make this, all you need is an empty egg carton and paints of various colors of the rainbow. Simply paint the inside of each crevice with a different color. Then take your child on an adventure. It is amazing how you can find each color right in your own back yard (flowers, rocks of various colors, a penny, some paper, mysterious piece of black plastic, leaves, a marble...)!! She still plays with her Color Adventure around the house when its too cold to go out!

Homemade Reusable Swiffer Wet-jet Pads

So, have you noticed how expensive Swiffer Wet-jet Pads are?? Not to mention the added waste that ends up in the landfills. I LOVE my Swiffer, but I needed a cheaper and more earth friendly alternative (read here about the huge trash swirl). I needed something thick and absorbant and something with some texture to make the pads. So I found these at our local Ross store:

 

They are 12x12 microfiber cloths. Since the microfiber doesn't fray, I just cut them into thirds.

This resulted in three pads that were slightly smaller than my Wet-jet surface. When I used them, it seemed to work out well. However, next time I might just cut the cloth in half to make them a little bigger.

These are great because they stick to the velcro on the bottom of the Swiffer very well and are quite absorbent. When I'm done with them, they go in the bucket with all my other dirty cleaning rags and get washed along with them. Easy! It is very simple step to being more frugal and green.

In tomarrow's post, I'll tell you how to refill your used Swiffer solution bottle with your own homemade cleaning solution!

Making your own Gatorade

We had a terrific Thanksgiving!! The dinner was the best one yet in my opinion! I can post the recipes if anyone wants them, just let me know!

On to todays post... I came across this recipe for making your own gatorade (or rather, a gatorade type drink) on the Dr. Oz Show . They have not posted it on his website, but luckily I had the show DVR'ed. It's terribly simple and can save you a ton of money. Also, you know exactly what you are getting- no artificial sweetners, preservatives, ect. So here it is:

Electrolyte Drink

1 liter of water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt (or regular salt)
2 T agave nectar or honey
Fruit juice (optional)

Mix together. Add a little fruit juice for flavor if you desire.


Easy right? Now this won't be Kool-aid type drink, but it is a good option for a workout or dehydration from illnesses.