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ten things for thursday … housekeeping style ♥






i’m get super excited when it comes to making my own household products …
maybe it’s just the idea of making something yourself that doesn’t have to come from the store.  
maybe it’s all the chemicals that i know are being left out that’s comforting …
or maybe it’s just cause it’s fun to make stuff 🙂


during the summer months i want to try out a few of the recipes that i’ve accumulated on my housekeeping board on Pinterest … i’m trying to convince my hottie hubby to get on board with me and try out the homemade deodorant … 
not sure if that’s goin’ anywhere yet 🙂
here’s ten things i really really really want to make!

oh, and guys! 
if you want to pin these projects 
please do so from the original site
thanks. you all are the best.

♥ 



i’ve actually tried making dishwasher detergent before and it was a fail …
after reading up on it again, learned that whether you have hard or soft water determines which ingredients you should add into the mix … i need to give it a go again with this recipe



cleaning with vinegar is something i’m slowly getting used to … but the smell, not so much
i love this site, and i’ve gotten so many great household recipes from her that really work, so i’d love to give this a try 



now this diy i can vouch for … i’ve made this lavender spray for housewarming gifts and hostess gifts 
(if you don’t like the smell of lavender, guessing you could add any essential oil scent and it work the same)






this is one i’m excited to try … our garbage disposal gets so gross
citrus peels & ice help, but this looks like it might just give it that little boost of clean





garbage disposal refreshers – savvysugar.com

we have ceramic tile counter tops … and they’re white 🙂
looking for something to give them a little shine … this might do the trick
and i’m sure it will make the kitchen smell yummy too.


homemade lemon-scented all-purpose cleaner

lemon scented all purpose cleaner ~ simple bites







greasy hair girls need dry shampoo … unless you want to wash you hair everyday
which i do want to. but i don’t. anymore. i used to. not good for my hair.
and i do use store bought dry shampoo, but you should see the warning labels on these things! i feel like i should wear a gas mask everytime i use it … so i’m looking for a natural alternative … and i have dark hair. this one’s it. 🙂


dry shampoo

dry shampoo for dark hair ~ a step in the journey

mama’s have dark circles under their eyes
it comes with the territory 🙂 this recipe looks like fun.




my girls are most excited about this one, since they don’t like toothpaste because it’s too “spicy” ? and besides the fact that toothpaste has some of the same ingredients that are found in rat poison & industrial pesticides … ? yikes
after asking mr. google if this was true … i spent a couple hours reading stuff and getting freaked out. go. google it.

aaaaaand this i need to make because my windows are really dirty …
and i think this might just be the very best recipe. like ever. 🙂
(even if it’s not i like this picture)







the best window cleaner ~ she wears many hats







last but not least, the homemade deodorant … there are two recipes that i like.
my gal pal Ann Marie over at White House Black Shutters swears by this first one … and i trust her. since she’s hilarious …

this second one appeals to me because it’s more of a solid and the ingredients are a little different … either way i’m sure some tweaking will be required when you’re trying to make it work for you … go read both of these!

homemade moisturizing deodorant ~ the purposed heart

 i also thought it would be nice to have all these recipes i’m trying, all together in one place. 
if you decide they’re keepers, jot down the ingredients and your notes,
then it will be easy access when you plan to make more.



click here to download

i tuck this away in our household binder, when stuff’s running low, 
i know right where to find the how-to’s 🙂






ready to try some of these with me?? 
if you do or already have, tell me about it in the comments …
happy making! ♥


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coupon organization ideas & some printables ♥



so let’s talk coupons 
🙂 
such a touchy subject for some, i know 
… if it works for you, great.  if it doesn’t then that’s great too. 
i started using coupons last year, (as in planning & checking flyers)
and found i really save some money if i stick to it and stayed organized… 
by being able to see which coupons i have and applying them to what is on sale every week





here are some supplies i use to keep everything going with this system …
sharpies – index cards – post-it tabs
binder, binder labels, binder bands 
(from Staples) (thank you Martha)
and baseball card protectors – not pictured
and of course a super cuter pencil case (from my instagram gal pal here)
(totally not necessary, but way more fun if you have a cute pencil case)





now let me start off by saying i’m not a die-hard couponer
i don’t buy things just because they’re on sale or because they’re free even though we don’t use them
 … and i don’t go to 14 thousand stores every week  just to get a bargain. 
i generally shop at Target & our local grocery store, Wegmans
… and i am brand specific. for some things.
when you’ve found a soap that doesn’t irritate your skin or a shampoo that works great for you hair
i think you should be brand specific … just be smart about buying those particular items when they’re on sale, and preferably when they have a coupon circulating … double savings!

we also have a few heavy duty shelves in our basement that hold over-stock … 
so when something is on sale and i have a few coupons for it,
 i’ll buy 2 or 3 instead of just one since i’m getting the item at such a discounted rate 
(most weeks i buy 2 or maybe 3 newspapers to get extra coupons –
the cost of the paper is minimal compared to what i’m saving on product)

… for instance, we use dove soap, a coupon comes out for dove products once every few months. when it does, it’s usually on sale at one of the stores i shop in. so with coupon & sale combined, buying a few boxes will get us through to the next coupon and sale week (most times i always have some left, so i just adjust how many i buy for next time)

i also like to keep a clipboard (hanging on the shelves) with a list of all the products we use and how many we have left … so when i see that coupon for soap, i can just check the list to see how many are left, and then how many to buy

did you know Target has their own coupons? online… yup!
Target lets you use their coupon combined with the circular coupon! 
(well, they do here anyways 🙂
and if that item is on sale as well … it’s a huge savings.
i love Target sales… so i take a few extra minutes when i’m making my grocery list, to go check their coupons and see if any can be combined with what i have … i save a bunch in the end






so back to the binder …
i started out by making some dividers and printed these on heavy card-stock
and i wanna share them with you!

then used my post-it tabs to label the sides for easy filing
use a 3-hole punch to tuck them into that pretty binder 🙂






slip a few pages of baseball card protectors in between each divider and you’re ready to cut!
some categories have only one or two coupons in them, but i know right where to go when i get to the store and find that the yogurt is on sale this week, even though i didn’t see it in the weekly flyer

most of the coupons i use are for food items, paper products & health/beauty supplies
i make some of my own cleaning products, laundry detergent & fabric softener
so i don’t have much of a need for cleaning coupons, even though i have a section for them
🙂






i also carry a small coupon folder in my purse that holds every day coupons
 (i only bring the binder when i’m doing my major grocery shopping trip)
craft stores, restaurants, or just general shopping coupons are all tucked into this cute little aqua organizer right inside my purse for easy access, or when i’m on a spontaneous lunch date with the hubs and remembered i had a coupon for wherever we’re eating (which almost never happens … i always forget to use my coupons when i’m shopping & having fun … guess i’m only in coupon mode at the grocery store for some reason 🙂
(oh, and at the craft store … i do remember at the craft store
i’m there waaaaay to much to not remember to use coupons on stuff … oy)






so hear ya go … this is how i do coupons
🙂
i actually thought this was going to be a really simple post
but a lot goes into using coupons … and trying to decide how much time you want to invest into things based on what the results are, is also important. 

 … i’ve found now that i have a bit of a system in place, it’s a lot easier to think about using coupons to save on groceries.  once you get into a routine and figure out what works best for you then stick with that … it might be more couponing, it might be less.  

i also try to meal plan at the same time, which is a whole other long post … 
a doozy of a post 🙂 but i hope to share that as well … i’m working on it a little at a time.





my binder system is slowly taking shape 🙂
they all live on the counter in our kitchen/office area
and i’m currently working the household & meal planning binders
i’m kinda crazy with planners … i love them ♥ 
and i really big fat heart my Jen Jones planner from here 🙂
i’ll talk about that a little bit in my meal planning post
that i use more like a journal & scrapbook for me






kay, now just for fun …
 i made you guys a cuteified grocery list
cause planning a trip to the grocery store, with coupons, 
is way more fun with a cute grocery list … yes. it is.




it actually looks just like everything else i do
notes everywhere, little things here and there … all over … random
yup. that’s me 🙂

do you coupon? tell me about it in the comments … i wanna hear please.
much love ♥ and gladness in my heart
linking up here:
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diy pennant bunting & a summer front porch …♥



as i work my way through fixing up our house, i’m slowly discovering my decorating style
and slowly discovering what works & feels best for our family
and realizing it’s not about perfection, it’s about using what you have
to make it an inviting & welcoming place to live 
i’ve always dreamed of having a wrap-around front porch with a swing and a pretty 
spindle-ish wood screen door … so even though our front porch is small, 
it’s still fun to spruce it up a bit for summer
sometimes i sit and watch the kids play (they usually don’t know i’m sitting there)
or i read there in the morning, after the bus leaves 
(unless it’s raining) 
(or if it’s too hot)
 (we don’t have consistent weather here … at all)
but it’s quiet, and peaceful





the bunting was an easy project … just cut the pieces to size, sew a pocket and thread some jute through the pocket … or hot glue directly to the jute






this rocker was on the curb one night before garbage day … a long time ago
i love it, it’s my favorite. i’ve painted it lots of different colors
this year it got the mint green treatment 🙂






i hope to find some odds & ends to add to this little wall near the rocker
maybe a mini side table too … the welcome sign was actually a mirror






with some chalkboard spray paint to cover the mirror
and some almond colored paint around the frame …






it takes on a whole different look
welcome to the porch! 🙂






the azalea’s are in full bloom this week
that means summer is almost here




the girls will cut a few branches off every couple of days
and put them in a vase near the kitchen window for me 🙂






well tomorow’s friday! that means yard sales! fun fun fun 🙂
be back soon with some info on my coupon system…
happy weekend 

linking up here:
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ten things for thursday … teacher gift ideas ♥


wow!

where did the past week & a half go??
i blinked and it was gone 🙂
been working on a TON of projects that i can’t wait to share!
some furniture stuff, some living room stuff … oh and remember how i wanted to share about my meal planning & coupon system? well it’s slowly coming along, and i hope to share a little tomorrow … school is out for us in 2 weeks, and i would love to be prepared with some of these nifty neat teacher gifts! … how bout you? are yours all done?



if not, here are 10 projects that would make great teacher gifts
mostly simple & inexpensive ideas that can be put together in a short amount of time
yay! my kinda end of the year gifts 🙂 oh and there’s a few more ideas on 
my Pinterest board here

oh, and guys! 
if you want to pin these projects 
please do so from the original site
thanks. you all are the best.

♥ 















Blog_teachercups










Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea - Free Printable Tags

now this is not an actual gift, but i love this idea for next year … i actually did this with my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher years ago, and it was the best thing to have on hand! i knew exactly where to go, and how to put together a few pick me ups during the school year because i had this list at home
so be ready for the fall!



























get ready! school will be out … then let the summer crafting begin!
 much love and gladness in my heart 


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a shop update & a birthday cake … ♥

happy new week everyone ♥
i spent some time today in the studio 
working on a new mason jar garland 



and there’s a coupon code good now through sunday! (5-26)
SUMMERTIME20 
for 20% off your purchase
can be applied to any items in the shop





and thanks so much for supporting my little handmade business
i appreciate you all
🙂




my littlest little also had a birthday last week
got this cute cake bunting from here







we all had fun taking a little quiz about some of her favorite things
big sister got the most right 🙂





i also want to be more intentional about sending out birthday and special occasion cards
as in … i want to send them out… uh … on time
and to have the kids write thank you notes … i hope it will help teach appreciation & thankfulness
i hate that it’s a thing of the past
these cute kiddie thank you’s are from here






well that’s all for now!
happy shopping ♥

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ten things for thursday … summer time ideas ♥


so i’m a tad late with this

but technically it’s not midnight yet
so it’s still thursday
🙂


here are 10 projects i’m dying to do with or for my girls this summer!
these and many more fun ideas can be found on my “girl” board on Pinterest

oh, and guys! 
if you want to pin these projects 
please do so from the original site
thanks. you all are the best.

♥ 



spray painted chairs
i’m in love with this chair. in love. love 

green chair makeover


make tic tac toe kits!!
out of any fun things! … my youngest said mini my little ponies 🙂




horse pillows
i think this would be a great project if you’re teaching your kids to sew

Horse pillow2












we need to pass more gifts out on a regular basis … for no reason at all … cause it’s fun

yes these will do nicely
my girls love perler beads during the summer months





rainbow & sunshine garland ♥
cause you can never have too many rainbows or too much sunshine



fairy gardens!! a must do this summer.



diy money jars 
this is a long overdue – much needed project!



hope these ideas get your crafty brains turning… summer here we come!
 much love and gladness in my heart 


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free summer print … ♥

lately i’ve been worrying a lot about waste.
wasted time.
wasted energy.
wasted words.
waste.

it comes back to the fact that most days if my attitude could speak for it self, it would say
“i got this”
“i’ll figure it out”
“i can do this on my own”

that stinks.
cause realistically nothing can be done on my own
i can’t be the kind of wife my husband needs – on my own
i can’t be the kind of mom my kids need – on my own
i can’t even be nice on my own
really 
and some days it just feels better to be nasty. doesn’t it?
well for a while it does. then it comes crashing down later



but last time i checked
yup.
just checked…
i’m not asked to do it on my own
i’m not called to be perfect
i’m just called to be faithful
My grace is sufficient for you
 for <sup class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; text-align: start; vertical-align: top;" value="(B)”>my power is made perfect in weakness
second corinthians twelve.nine

and because i try to do it all by myself
it gets messed up
and it feels like waste



but nothing is waste
Psalm 139 says that God is before us & behind us
He is sovereign
to Him
nothing is wasted
in the hands of the One who redeemed my soul
there is no waste

then go and listen to this song from Jason Gray
go. do it. ♥

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baby gift idea ♥ bath time caddy



it’s that time of year 🙂
for babies & weddings
here’s a quick no-fuss gift idea
when you get that next baby shower invite in your mailbox





started off by taping and painting a square on the front of a summer utensil caddy from Target
with some chalkboard paint … it needs a few coats, and some drying time between each
doing this the day before you assemble the gift gives it some time to set






raid the baby department
have fun deciding what to put into the caddy compartments
towels, washcloths, lotion & wash
powder, brush & comb, ointments
and some fun bath toys.





once everything was in it… it still needed a little somethin’ 🙂



this cute vintage baby image was digitally cutified by my gal pal
you can find it in her shop!
using pic monkey, i added the image to some fun baby bath “instructions”






decorated the insert with some pretty paper & embellishments 
and tucked it in with the towels




simple, no-stress gift for baby
and it’s super cute too boot 
♥ 

Keren has so many fun digital images in her shop 
that can inspire so many crafty ideas 🙂
check out some of these other projects i’ve done that were inspired by her vintage clip-art!

{click on the images to go to the actual post for project instructions}


and she’s been a busy bee adding all new images … what can we make next?

Retro Vintage Pretty Woman Pink Black Stripes Ornate Bracket Frame LARGE Digital Image Download  Transfer To Totes Pillows Tea Towels Shirts
this would make a cute shopping list no?!

Vintage Deer Bluebirds and Cute Animals Two LARGE Digital Vintage Image Download Sheet Transfer To Totes Pillows Tea Towels T-Shirts
and maybe a summer library tote? or stickers… 
yes.
 this image would be cute with sticky stuff on the back of it 🙂


Christian Vintage Baby Ballerina Girl Princess LARGE Digital Vintage Image Download Sheet Transfer To Totes Pillows Tea Towels T-Shirts - 83
framed and hung in a little girl’s room?
or use iron on transfer paper to make a baby blanket

so many ideas … so little time 🙂
and not to mention her weekly freebies!
here’s a few of my current fav’s …

{click on the images to download}

Free Vintage Banners by FPTFY web ex
Free  vintage ballerina digital scrapbooking paper by FPTFY web ex
”Image
Shabby Speech bubbles by FPTFY web ex
eeeek.
pink. polka dots. gingham.
and vintage cute things.
what else is there?

i’m so thankful to call Keren a bloggy bestie ♥
she truly has such a generous heart.
go on over and tell her hi from me.
🙂
much love
linking up here:
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mother's day gift idea … ♥ lemon poppy seed soap


Mother’s Day is this Sunday!
it always sneaks up on me. every year.
so with this Handmade Mother’s Day series in full swing
i was forced to plan ahead!
she also made this yummy homemade lemon soap that looked so pretty
i was so excited about how simple the steps were
and really started thinking about the endless amounts of combinations 
that could be used to make all different kinds.

mom, hostess, birthday … yup, great gifts for all of those peoples 🙂


i combined a few recipes that really liked, made my own
and then just had fun with it 🙂





i hit the craft store and found what i needed …
i chose the shea butter soap
(there is glycerine & goat’s milk too)
the soap molds were not really to my liking so i wandered over to the baking isle 
and found these mini silicone bread molds
the coloring was there too … not sure if you can substitute this coloring with food coloring?
hmm… have to look that up.
from the grocery store i got the lemons & the poppy seeds




the soap is already sectioned, so very easy to measure
i first melted 20 ounces of the soap in a large glass measuring bowl
in the microwave for 1 minute then in 30 second intervals
stirring in between each


once it’s melted add the color, essential oil and the foodie ingredients




mix well.




this batch filled 2 of the bread molds a little over half way
placed it on a cookie sheet, and slid it into the fridge to set
while i melted the last 12 ounces.

the second mixture was just as is, nothing added
since i wanted to add another layer that was just white to top off the first




once the first layer was set (maybe 15 minutes or so)
i poured the white layer over the top and put it back in the fridge

this was the result 🙂
so pretty, and looks yummy!
there are so many possibilities with this … layered colors, flavors, mix-ins …
fun. fun. fun.




i wrapped each bar in parchment paper after slicing
and found these small white ceramics in the kitchen section at Target 
to be used as a soap dish
tied up with some fabric scraps … and it’s all ready to gift ♥



try it. 
make soap. 
you can’t mess it up. 
and it’s so fun. 
 ♥
linking up here:
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insta-monday … ♥

the past few weeks have been somewhat insane 🙂
fun! 
but insane 🙂
i haven’t been doing much, if any crafting
but that’s what this new week is for 🙂
crafting.
so in the mean time
i realized i haven’t shared any instagram pictures on here lately 
so there’s an overload bout to come your way
here’s the last few weeks worth of snapshots
go find me! raisinguprubies

1
thankful for little hands & breakfast dishes in the morning
i try to realize that one day these won’t be here 😦
2-3 
now that it’s FINALLY getting warm here … garage sales are poppin’ up everywhere!
i hit this estate sale and scored tons of vintage goodness & almost took home this cheesy but sort of cute plastic canvas gingerbread house… eh. what can i say. i had a moment.
4-5-6
gettin’ ready for and then having craft night with my besties 🙂
7
and then this girl. finally got to meet her in person. she’s the cutest thing ever ♥
8
and she brought me the cutest gift ever – a little bucket full of vintage sheet squares
sigh….
9
psalm 119. my heart is set on keeping your decrees… to the very. end.
it is set. 
sometimes i totally mess up 
(a lot of the time)
(most of the time)
but it’s set.
not goin’ wishy washy with this.
to the end.
1
new garlands in the shop all wrapped up pretty
2
a quarter of the orders from last week & the week before
feeling so blessed by that
3
people on instagram make you buy stuff
everyone was talkin’ about this donut maker thing machine
and about how it was on clearance at Target for $8 
so i saw it. we tried it. they’re actually really yummy. and fun. 
(for the kids)
(ok, for me too)
4
this pillow cover from this girl. she’s so talented i just can’t believe it
5
my craft table looks like this. always.
8 x 4 feet of space
narrowed down to a 2 x 2 foot space
everytime.
6
i found this cute cross-stitch book at joanns 
reminded me of my teenage years… and my cousin 🙂
it was my first real die-hard craft 
7
small peek at my vintage sheet stash
8
instagram garlands galore goin’ to happy homes
9
psalm sixteen. eleven. keep my eyes always on the Lord … i will not be shaken.
have you heard this song?
1
still going strong with the laundry soap
2
new fabric tapes for whatever craft weekend swag
so cool! that i got to be a part of Meg’s weekend
go read about it. it’s the next best thing to heaven 🙂
3
was so nice to see a sunny kitchen
the clouds and yucky weather were really messin’ with me
4
cheese danish. nom nom nom.
5
packaging up orders is therapy sometimes
6
another rummage sale. um. acutally make that a HUGE rummage sale.
this was just the “linens” section
7
i was told that i was crazy for not buying this vintage mint green sewing machine for $10
yes. ten.
8
but i did find all these goodies 🙂 the best part was the two globes for $5!
9
this sale was actually so big, i went back a second day
aaaaand then i was pooped
🙂


happy Monday!
be back soon with some crafts n stuff